Thank you! I was thinking about trying to pull it over but I don’t know how to quote from another journal and I didn’t feel like trying to figure it out on my phone.
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It took me a couple tried to post it in the right spot 
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That was fantastic. Thank you for sharing it.
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This erasure is a big thing here in Australia too. I am currently educating myself on the topic, so I don’t have much to add to this conversation yet.
I think that is a great point, and I have done this too. It’s given me a much better understanding of what is important to other people, and like any media run by people-who-aren’t-me for people-who-aren’t-me is important for keeping my head out of a bubble.
Resources I’m currently finding valuable:
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A language and culture course on the local indigenous groups. It’s run by a local university, and was developed with input from a number of the elders and members of the indigenous group.
https://www.edx.org/course/noongar-language-and-culture -
Following, quietly, a number of BIPOC from the US, UK and Australia. Not just on racism, but also fashion, parenting, art, business, environment/nature, science.
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Instagram: thegreatunlearn, blackgirl_green, blackgirlswithgardens, dr_ronx, hood_naturalist, intersectionalenvironmentalist, blackfulla_bookclub, nitv_au (australian indigenous TV station), astro_society_of_the_pacific, wastefreemarie, ckyourpriviledge, reconciliationaus, Ulurustatement, oursonglines, deadly_science_au, clothingthegap, minakusista, firesticks.alliance.network
Twitter: #blackintheivory (racism in academia) -
Books:
Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe, on Australian Aboriginal Agriculture and the erasure of it
The Biggest Estate On Earth by Bill Gammage, same topic as Dark Emu
Welcome to Country by Marcia Langton, a broad overview of being polite and respecting Aboriginals and their culture
Welcome to Country by Aunty Joy Murphy, a picture book for kids
Why I’m no longer talking (to white people) about race by Reni Eddo-Lodge (anti-racism, UK)
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Thank you for laying out so well how to do this, and not just summarising as “make friends”. This is much more useful to me and will also mean I am busy being useful to my community at the same time.
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Some more for you (Indigenous Australian) some are both twitter and facebook
IndigenousX
Blackfulla revolution
Celeste Liddle
Stan Grant
Twitter
@ BlackwellJ_
@ drcbond
I would also follow the news as they often share a lot of stories that aren’t shared on the main ABC or sbs news
NITV
ABC Indigenous
I need to come up with a more comprehensive list
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I’m up for reading this as a group. Discuss here or in a new thread?
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This reflection and discussion course on Personal Finance and Racial Justice might be interesting to some folks following this thread–starts very soon, led by a Portland-based POC, sliding scale tuition, all proceeds to the Global BLM Fund.
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Thanks, this looks quite good for those living in the USA.
Rachel Cargle (@rachel.cargle on Instagram, rachel-cargle.com) has provided a free, 30 day program “for those who seek to be allies to Black women.”
My small affinity group has decided to do this, and I thought I’d share here in case anyone else was interested.
https://mailchi.mp/rachelcargle/dothework-course-all-30days?e=[UNIQID]
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Here probably works unless the thread starts moving too fast
This woman, my former junior boss, had been bullying me for years at work. As her employee, I had to go to HR to get the company to make her correct my annual review as she penalized me, which impacted my pay increase calculation, for “not being more social with coworkers” and instead “always being on the phone.” When pressed, she admitted I was always on the phone with clients, they weren’t social calls.
She later started a fake drama about me refusing to work with another coworker. She had to walk that back when I had email proof that I’d initiated the joint project and the other person backed out. This woman gossiped about me, pressured my boss to give a white coworker the market I’d built up, you name it.
Now that I was in another position with equal power to her own, she couldn’t stand it. She hated the fact that I could deny her requests, based on optimizing revenue for our property. She sent me an incredibly nasty email. Once again, I took her to HR. Sitting at a table with her, our mutual boss, and the director of HR, she began to lie on me again. When she was finished, I pulled out a packet of emails and notes with dates and times. I proceeded to not only prove her wrong, with her own words, but paint her as the aggressor she was.
When I finished, you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was staring at her. Can you guess what she did next? I’m willing to bet every single Black person and quite a few others know exactly what happened, because it has happened to them. Yup, she started crying. The table began comforting her. I was the “mean one.” She, like so many others before her, weaponized her tears.
A few weeks ago, I called out a white woman on her racism. Mind you, multiple people saw the racist act. The woman seemed distraught at not being seen as a beacon of progressiveness. A mutual acquaintance, who happens to be a white man, messaged me. He wanted to introduce us as he was sure we’d be great friends if we really knew each other. I replied that I wasn’t angry at her but no, I was not interested. He insisted. I told him absolutely not as all that would happen was that she’d make it about her and start crying. Then I’d be expected to what, comfort her? How would that benefit me as the person on the receiving end of her racism? No, thank you. He then messaged me back asking if there wasn’t another way I could have proven my point just than calling her out by name. Ah ha! His true intention was revealed. He wasn’t concerned with justice or reconciliation. He was concerned that the white woman was embarrassed and hurt by being embarassed. I intentionally didn’t reply. He eventually replied with “Nevermind, you don’t have to justify your decision to me.” I gave that a thumbs up.
Amy Cooper is not a one off. Amy Coopers are conservative and liberal. They are in neighborhoods and workplaces. They weaponize their tears and supposed fears and the rest of the world typically jumps to their aid, prioritizing their tears over the actual wellbeing of their victims.
When they are not obeyed or worshipped, when you don’t acknowledge their dominion over your Black or brown body, they destroy.
Amys pop up in the strangest places. Lady Bird Johnson Amy Coopered Eartha Kit. I’ll never forget a 2008 campaign moment with weaponized pantsuit tears. I was beyond disgusted.
People have died over these tears. People have been incarcerated over these tears. People have been shut out over these tears. People’s lives have been destroyed over these tears.
Racism isn’t typically men marching around with white sheets. It’s much more subtle and insidious. Women have played a prominent role in its enduring legacy. Heck, they fundraised for the KKK and built some of the disgusting statues of human traffickers, rapists, child predators, and terrorists that are coming down today.
The next time we observe tears at work or out and about, before we race to comfort, let us pause. If we’re not careful, we’ll empower evil.
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Omg YES. Thank you for sharing this!
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Is anyone interested in taking the anti racist personal finance class with me/being accountability buddies? This is a subject that I’ve been wrestling with basically since I learned about FIRE and I keep talking myself out of the class based on logistics which means I probably should take it.
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I would like to, but even the low end of the sliding scale is not feasible for me. I am very much interested to see what you get out of the class, though!
Yesterday’s #DoTheWork session was an hour long video by BBC on a short overview of racism, “Racism - A History episode 3 - A Savage Legacy.”
It touched on British imperialism in Africa, the absolute destruction and genocide King Leopold and after, Belgium, subjected the Congolese to, slavery in the States, Jim Crow laws, and finally the widespread economic disparity that Black people suffer globally as a result. There is graphic violence in this video, and I think it’s absolutely necessary viewing for white folks.
Today’s session was a much shorter video overview of the doll test in the US, followed by an implicit bias test.
I’ve taken multiple implicit bias tests before, and the very first one broke my mental facade surrounding my own racism. My results today were surprising, and I have a small doubt as to the accuracy. Maybe knowing what the test is like, what it does, what it’s for caused inaccurate results? Or maybe not. It’s been recommended to take them every so often to see where your biases lie.
Edit: The sessions were Day 3 and Day 4.
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I’m sure you’ve seen this, but your point reminded me that The New Jim Crow Museum in Alabama has some incredible videos. I personally learned a lot from this intro video to their collections and to Jim Crow history more generally (warnings for graphic images of violence): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yf7jAF2Tk40
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I may not have, thank you! I’ll add this to my watch list tomorrow.
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I’ve noticed what appears to be a sudden increase in white people using black and brown emojis, which instinctively felt ick to me so I looked it up. Here’s some various reading on it for the interested! I tried to include some varied points of view:
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I appreciate that the TechCrunch article mentioned something that I think is very important here:
Using a darker skin tone emoji can be a form of blackface.
Is it as harmful as putting on makeup? Maybe not, it’s not for me to say.
Is it showing solidarity? If you think it is, then how?
Is it benefitting the people who have that skin color? How?
Can it potentially harm the people who have that skin color?
I feel the same can also be said for reaction gifs. If white people are using a representation of Black people or other people of color for entertainment purposes, is it so different from the racist minstrel shows?
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Good points
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