Okay, this is a long post made for sharing, with some of the most compelling articles I’ve seen so far about Ferguson, the criminal (in)justice system, race, and what we can do about it. Please add to the conversation in the comments! I’ve heard a lot of folks asking for more resources - here’s a place to start. #blacklivesmatter What white people need to know, and do, after Ferguson washingtonpost/posteverything/wp/2014/11/28/what-white-people-need-to-know-and-do-after-ferguson/ When black people are protesting in Ferguson and across America, they’re not protesting against white people. Maybe this seems obvious, but it’s worth stating. In fact, in the case of Ferguson, the protests weren’t (primarily) about one white cop. Black communities are ultimately protesting systems of injustice and inequality that structurally help white people while systematically harming black people. Just because you’re white and therefore generally benefit from those systems doesn’t mean you inherently support those systems — or need to defend them. Benefiting from white privilege is automatic. Defending white privilege is a choice. Its Time for a 21st-Century Anti-lynching Movement thenation/article/181403/its-time-21st-century-anti-lynching-movement A history lesson from Paula Giddings addressing the parallels between present-day oppression and events that occurred over a century ago. “In Defense of Looting” thenewinquiry/essays/in-defense-of-looting/ This one is long, historical, theoretical, practical, and totally worth it. “On Ferguson Protests, the Destruction of Things, and What Violence Really Is (And Isn’t)” blackgirldangerous.org/2014/11/ferguson-destruction-violence-really-isnt/ In the wake of the Darren Wilson decision and the ensuing protests, I’ve been hearing the word “violence” thrown around by journalists and social media commentators alike. It’s strange to me, because when these people use the term violence, they’re not talking about what happened to any of the people named above. The brutal and unnecessary killing of unarmed Black women, children and men by police officers isn’t called “violence” by any of these people. They’re also not talking about protestors of this police violence being tear-gassed or shot with rubber bullets by police for exercising their right to peaceably assemble. That, to these journalists and Twitter trolls, isn’t “violence,” either. What is “violence” to these people? Property damage. Looting. The destruction of things. “White America’s scary delusion: Why its sense of black humanity is so skewed” salon/2014/12/03/white_americas_scary_delusion_why_violence_is_at_the_core_of_whiteness/ “Because of this framework problem, this epistemology problem, white people find black protests to be absolutely, utterly unreasonable, in light of the “evidence.” Many of these folks have never stopped to consider the fact that “reason,” and “evidence,” are not race-neutral concepts. What is a reasonable conclusion to draw for people who have never had the entirety of their lives shaped by a negative perception of skin tone, is an entirely unreasonable set of conclusions to draw for people who have.” 5 Ways to Face Race at the Thanksgiving Table - And Not Choke colorlines/archives/2011/11/5_ways_to_face_race_at_the_thanksgiving_table--and_not_choke_on_it.html An awesomely practical article that can help us all to have difficult and necessary social justice conversations with people that we love - relevant any day, not just at Thanksgiving!
Posted on: Sat, 06 Dec 2014 00:29:06 +0000
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