Thread by @le_roux_nicolas, Someone I look up to told me that they remained silent about [...]

Someone I look up to told me that they remained silent about recent events because they knew very little about what happened, only that Jeff was a great guy who had been an advocate before.

But they didn't want to be a white guy supporting another white guy so they stayed mum.

I suspect many here feel the same so I want to explain why it upsets me. I'll try to be as nuanced as possible and I welcome dissenting opinion (either here or in DMs).

Jeff is someone I look up to. He's achieved more than I ever will and always was a great colleague and mentor. He's also been genuinely involved in efforts to diversify ML. From what I know about him, I'd never believe that he would do something as damaging as firing Timnit.

I also look up to Timnit. She is a great colleague, spending a lot of energy giving us perspective on ethical issues. She showed more care in building and nurturing her team and community than anyone I know. Based on this, I'd never believe Jeff's version of the events.

But the reality doesn't match the narrative that neither Jeff nor Timnit did what the other claims they've done. So something happened that contradicts this perfect picture.

If we are not ready to challenge it, we will naturally side with whomever we appreciate or look up to.

Our society is not unjust because powerful people openly decide to support each other. It is unjust because powerful people support who they love, to avoid going through the pain of questioning the narrative. And those they know and love are other powerful people like them.

This is what "Assume no intentions, observe all impact" means. To enable racism and sexism, you don't have to believe in an inherent inferiority of a race or gender. You don't even need to have implicit bias. You just have to be complacent and never question those you love.

By admiring both Timnit and Jeff, I could not shy away from this questioning. And it was painful. And I would love to have been able to keep my mental model of both these people, enjoying their company and their wisdom like before.

So why do I unequivocally support Timnit? Because the sheer number of testimonies from other Black people, or women, in tech, describing how the public display of support is often just that, is more convincing to me than Timnit suddenly deciding to destroy all that she built.

This meant I had to rely on a lot of lived experiences that differ from mine. And these experiences painted a different story than the one I wanted to be true. This is why it is so important to listen to these voices. Their experiences don't invalidate ours, they complement them.

I have more respect for someone saying "I took the time to actively engage and listen to both sides, and I ultimately concluded that Google did the right thing" than for someone saying "I do not know Timnit but Jeff is a great guy so I tend to believe him."

This is not about dismissing Jeff nor his achievements. This is about being willing to go through pain and discomfort to make sure that your love and admiration for those around you, those like you, do not blind you to the suffering of those you know less.

Because of my feelings for Jeff, I truly want to believe things will change for the better. But I also hear those with more experience than me saying the problem runs deeper.

This means accepting to hurt relationships. It sucks. But I could not find another way.

Here are the resources if you want to know more about Timnit's side of the story:

Her interview: https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/12/16/1014634/google-ai-ethics-lead-timnit-gebru-tells-story/

The timeline of events: https://googlewalkout.medium.com/setting-the-record-straight-isupporttimnit-believeblackwomen-5d7bbfe4ed90

Thread by @shaft on Google tactics: https://twitter.com/shaft/status/1335343523806105600

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