So there's racism everywhere. And of course we shouldn't have to, in today's world perform all this extra emotional, physical and mental labor
…to have to avoid going to a place that's racist or has a racist population.
but part of the problem is most white people —and when I say most, I mean 98% of white people, including my friends —
have no understanding of what racism is in daily life. They don't get it. There's no way to explain it To them. It's something you have to experience.
And you would think women understand because women receive misogyny from men,
you would think disabled people will understand because we receive ableism from abled people.
You would think your gay friends will understand because they receive homophobia and shit like that from other people.
What …it's not the same oppression dynamic. It just IS an oppression dynamic.
You may have to explain that— If it suits you — over and over and over again.
What white people don't understand, and probably don't care too honestly —And I say this to my white friends— is that
every time
you have to do something differently from other people, just because you're black IT IS racism.
Every instance, if I have to do something to enjoy this place, that other white people don't have to do that is a PROBLEM.
And what should be happening is that our friends who are white liberals should be going
“oh, you know what? That is messed up. You should not have to go in sign up for the quote unquote black instance of Mastodon to have peace”
and I don't know if I'm pronouncing it correctly. And I don't care. So don't correct me.
I like it here. I *do* like it here. And I don't think it's a Twitter alternative. It's a Twitter AND….
It's not even … I wouldn't compare it to Twitter.
Because the great thing about this place is that it was built with some marginalization, marginalizations in mind.
So the problem is that race is not one of those marginalizations .
HARDCORE racism? Yes
in 2002 I did have a shit covered baseball thrown at me and hit me in the chest.
When I was just standing on the corner minding my business, waiting for the bus at 7pm in broad daylight on the streets of Las Vegas.
That is true, I have experienced hardcore racism and that’s only one instance
they called my parents African booty scratches and told them to go home at several places that we lived. What the fuck even IS an African booty scratcher?
Anyway, I've experienced the hardcore version. I have driven past a Klansmen before. Like, I am from Maryland. It's not like they don't have racism there.
I'm currently living in Texas. I've been here for four years. They have it here to and They're more bold about it. They have it everywhere.
Of course.
What they don't seem to understand is it's not just the cross burners.
It's not just the red hatters.
It's not just the Nazis. It's all of them.
And it's not lik we’re, you know, saying …Like, I don't understand …that--
I don't think that they understand, that we're not saying “oh my god, every time you do a racist thing as a result of your racist programming I'm gonna fall apart” or something like that.
Or that it's even about us having hurt feelings over it.
Because right now, I'm telling you I don't know if I have feelings left to be hurt about racism.
And I consider that to be a very sad thing. I'm kind of numb to it now. If you want to hurt me?
And You can't do better than cancer did and you can’t do better than long COVID is? Just save your fucking breath. It's not going to happen.
However this everyday stuff that we have to go through-
This pile on of extra labor, this pile of extra unpaid work that we have to do just to exist?
They will never understand that there are some people who have progressed to being anti racist.
Who will automatically defend you because they know the shit is messed up and they are tired of pretending that it doesn't happen and that it's invisible or then it's too big of a problem to solve.
So those are the people that you are looking for.
My advice to you is to cease trying to explain casual racism to people. People don't understand that and they will turn on you and say,
“Oh, now you're being racist to white people because you've painted us all with the same paintbrush” ain’t nobody painting anybody with nothing.
We're telling you our lived experience is x. And the fact that it's a universal black experience should tell you that it's not a stereotype!
It's not racism. racism is when you think of something about a person that’s not true, because of the color of their skin.
Or that you can't verify to be true, because of the color of their skin.
Or that you assumed to be true because of the color of their skin.
We come into this environment assuming we will be welcomed, assuming we will embraced we will be embraced
assuming that we have a place here
assuming that since they are blocking other margin-
are protecting other marginalized groups?
that they will protect us too.
They cannot CANNOT protect us until they understand what racism is and stop doing it. It's not possible and I know that's a crying shame. but it …IS.
People do not understand that if you have to refight all the fights that you've already fought to be somewhere
that of course you don't want to move someplace else and refight the same fights. And that's fine.
You don't have to be here if you don't want to be.
You don't have to move to “black instance” just because you're black. I *want* to move move to a black instance. I don't have the energy to because long COVID and cancer is kicking my black ass
but I probably will eventually.
It's just that's not the damn point. The point is we're not the ones who should have to do this changing.
Racism is being done TO US.
There isn't a worldwide system that supports and upholds white—- racism against white people,
even if we WERE being racist, —which I don't understand how people are calling, wanting to talk about racism racist, it's silly— It's it's mired in logical fallacy.
But if this shit was about logic, it would have been over and done with already.
