The Real Colors of Racism

Here we are again, with my face on a piece to prove I have the exact demographic makeup to make me a honking goose of self-righteousness and the portfolio to prove I have the self-awareness to curb my mayo sapiens tendencies while I have a chat with my own for a moment. Hey there, peeps and skeeps. Last time, I just wanted to talk to the white Americans with Trump Voter Remorse (TVR) or Protest Voter Persecution Syndrome (PVPS). This time, I'm ditching the alphabet soup.

Are you a white person? Are you an American? Then I'm talking to you.

Far, far too many people cannot step outside their own perspectives, culturally and otherwise. White people are especially and egregiously guilty of this. European culture evolved one way, but it wasn't the only one to evolve. It just spread across the globe by force (colonization) and then decided the history of how the other cultures evolved wasn't worth recording. So, those practical and oral histories? Those are primarily preserved within the cultural diasporas of minority groups in "majority white" areas due to active (even if subconscious) suppression. Because we're assholes like that still today.

I'm not saying that decisions made hundreds of years ago were your fault. They obviously aren't, but the decisions you make today—namely, whether or not to take a less myopic view of the world and decenter yourself and your whiteness with help from some incredible women of color—those lie squarely on your own shoulders. But consider yourself warned now: these women will not coddle or comfort you during your journey of self-discovery. That's for you to figure out, not to hoist upon them. Behave yourselves and do your own emotional labor. You got this.

@NotYourNegress

You can drop the pearls about her name, or things are going to get really, really rough for you on her skyline. She is a political commentator and survival specialist with an incredible talent for simplifying complex topics with humor and grace. Stay in your lane, and you will learn a lot. Get goosey and decide to honk at her, and you'll get roasted or insta-blocked; I promise it doesn't go well for you either way, and you end up learning nothing. She gives no fucks about your feelings beyond a normal sense of human decency. It is a beautiful sight to behold.

Stacey Patton

A journalist of the highest caliber, Dr. Stacey Patton is an incredible resource for learning about Black culture and its origins. In a recent post, she addressed the practice of washing meat and why it persists in a way that broke down the historical evolution and divergence of the cultures around food preparation and safety. She offers this academic insight into the world's cultures for FREE on Facebook, but she also just had a thread about reusing towels—which was brutally scientifically enlightening in the comments. Her brand of humor is as sharp as her world-class mind.

Uppity Negress Redux

Another incredible writer whose name is the first hurdle you need to handle quietly. The second is that she also gives no fucks about your feelings beyond a basic sense of human decency. She literally wrote a book to help people get over themselves as white folks and she puts out free content constantly to that end. If you're not taking advantage of it because you're hung up on something else about her, you need to question your commitment to those decisions you're making today. She also wrote a book to help women recenter themselves as opposed to centering their partners, in keeping with the overall progressive nature of her views.

Now what?

Now comes the hard part. Look in the mirror in every post that makes you angry or sad. Find the little ways you participate in the system's oppression and actively resist where you can. Practice harm reduction and learn to match others' energy for positive change and sociopolitical evolution. Move the needle toward the good. The only way forward is together, through us. We have to do the work.