Building off some good discussion in the other thread today. I’m thinking about how can white Hexbear users can be better here, and in leftist spaces, AND when we engage with the broader BIPOC communities? What are we doing wrong, and what can we do that’s better?
And I 100% get that’s it’s not on marginalized folks to explain it to us. I do. It’s just, at this moment I’m trying not to get overwhelmed with feeling like it’s just not possible to make the world better. Not even get us to socialism, just getting things to be a tiny bit better. I don’t know what else to do. So I’m reaching out to my BIPOC comrades with an open hand. If you feel like sharing, please do.
For the white folks, we need to be better. We do. It may not be comfortable to hear, but we do. Maybe we’re not as bad as the libs and the chuds on this but that’s not a valid measuring stick. Come on.
It's cowardly but I'm a mayo and usually just drop out and disappear from race conversations, I just don't know enough poc to know how not to embarrass myself. I get into intense arguments with IRL whitoid friends regarding race because I have done the bare minimum of reading though, hopefully I won't cringe at myself later for it
Listening a whole lot and talking very little has also been my strategy. But I can't get over the number of times middle class white people need to centre themselves and just dominate these convos.
i think this is the right way of doing it, short of just plunging yourself into poc spaces, inevitably inciting conflict and getting the brainworms forcibly struggle-sessioned out
i honestly don't blame them for the mayo-centric discourse that much anymore. no investigation, no right to speak is all well and good, but most of these people aren't even aware that there's anything to investigate, and while it's technically my duty to educate them wrt poc issues, they're likely resistant to education and i have better things to do with my time.
This is terrifying to me though since if I'm in a fun convo I usually wind up getting animated and trying to draw people in with directed questions, and "centering" my white ass in the process. I don't always realize I'm doing it, and I've had poc respond pretty well since I imagine it's a good social tactic with people regardless of race, but I cringe to myself thinking about how many times I've probably been a brash overbearing white guy to the people that stayed silent.
White people shut the fuck up challenge [impossible]
Unironjcally the best thing to do imo, as soon as the convo goes to race, i dip. If i cant, ill just agree with whatever the black person says
Do you agree with the guy who made graduation?
what are the odds your gonna be in a conversation with a black nazi? its like gambling with a 80% success rate to just agree with the black person in the room when you are out of your depth (the 20% of people wrong about things are the chronically online tic tokers). also its pretty easy to recognize a 🦝 even if your white. check the fit lol, look for a bowtie. /hj