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Buckle up: a thread from a well-meaning straight cis middle-aged white male on anti racism and systemic racism and our role in combating it.
Seeing a lot of anger in response to activists in communities of color saying that white leadership in Democratic politics is perpetuating and affirming white supremacy in the system.
It’s a hard thing to hear, isn’t it? That you might be “erased” from leadership and power?/2
It’s a hard thing to hear, isn’t it? That you might be “erased” from leadership and power?/2
Which is exactly why you should sit with it, for some serious time, and consider what it is about that feeling that bothers you.
Is it possible that you’re lacking the courage of your anti racist convictions? /3
Is it possible that you’re lacking the courage of your anti racist convictions? /3
When RBG was asked how many women justices should there be, she replied “nine” because nine men seemed fine with everyone, why not the opposite?
That’s seen as a powerful and not-all-that controversial today. But it wasn’t when she said it /4
That’s seen as a powerful and not-all-that controversial today. But it wasn’t when she said it /4
If you’re afraid of a world where you don’t have an “equal” seat in power and you think you might be left behind without it, then you’re admitting we don’t live in a just society, and the only way to keep balance is to keep power /5
We all need to be able to conceive of the possibility of a society where no white faces were in seats of power and find it in ourselves to be comfortable with that. More than comfortable, happy.
Until we can, we are just performing anti racism, not practicing it /6
Until we can, we are just performing anti racism, not practicing it /6
I work hard to serve in my advocacy. I work to un-center myself. But I’ll always be the automatic beneficiary of whiteness. A benefit I can reclaim at any time. That’s what privilege is.
That’s why I can never be the champion for communities of color I would like to be. /end
That’s why I can never be the champion for communities of color I would like to be. /end
