White Allyship

[prinnygrace]

I’ve just finished episode 3 of “trial by media” on Netflix. It’s about Amadou Diallo who was shot 41 times by NYPD officers. He was unarmed and had committed no crime. Really recommend it.

 

[Strategichamlet]

Who cares if they care or not? If they’re getting the message out there which makes even a handful of people think about what’s happening and even just try to change themselves/society then who gives a crap whether they care about the cause or not?

 

[jewelkitty]

One of many, many, many examples online of the police starting violence on PEACEFUL protesters:

 

[Pinchme]

If you think racism is a “bandwagon” then you’re part of the problem

If you read my post I said that racism isn't the bandwagon, it's just every Instagramer I have seen have all just posted the same stuff, as they did with 'be kind'. Do you really think they all care, I doubt it very much.

Why don't they just post their own thoughts & their own message of condolence, nope they just all post exactly the same, that what annoys me, they are jumping on the bandwagon.

Hopefully the rioting in USA and unrest will soon be over. It will then all go quiet until the next time. The influencers will move on & not mention it again.

We all know what's happening, we don't need to be shown exact same thing on everyone's page

 

[Pinchme]

I don’t think it’s fair to say this is a “bandwagon”. Some of them may be sharing posts because they would be called out on their silence otherwise but anything bringing awareness and support to the BLM movement is going to be a positive thing in my opinion and not something to criticise.

They are all just posting the same stuff, doubt any of them have actually read up on it. This isn't the first time something like this has happened, but again it's just something to join in with, trying to let people know they care!! They care about where the next freebee is coming from.

Looking at videos today and it looks like the Nike shops in USA are pretty trashed.

It's just another bandwagon, soon to be forgotten when the next one comes along.

 

[kat.becs]

Thank you for posting this! I've always been very vocal with my kids about issues like this but I've realised we've not done enough and we've had a lot of discussion in the past few days. We've put a BLM poster in our window next to our rainbow, which I know is only a little thing to do but my 4 year old is very proud of it! We've signed all the petitions we can find and I've ordered some books for us all to read that I found in a list online, but I'll also look into the ones you listed.

My 16 year old wanted to go to one of the protests and I'd probably let him as they're looking very peaceful here and police appear to be also remaining peaceful, but we have 2 people in our house on the verge of being classed as vulnerable so he decided on his own that he'll do what he can from home.

We never did enough but we're working on changing that based on everything that's happened. I'm ashamed that it took an event like this for us to realise that just being against racism isn't enough but we're working hard on improving that!

 

[bubbletea123]

I am absolutely horrified at what I am seeing happening in the USA, NYPD running protestors over with their car, shoving protestors to the ground unprovoked, etc. The police DO NOT care because they feel they can get away with it. My fiance and I had a really long conversation last night at dinner about white privilege, being anti-racist, and the oppression that black people face. We spoke about how he and I must have these conversations with friends and family and how it cannot just be a conversation that happens now because of the current protests but it has to be a long term conversation.

My Facebook feed is making me irate this evening. I myself am white.

Someone has posted on my feed that they are offended by Black Lives Matter. They feel that it means other lives do not matter as much as Black lives.

I can’t understand how people can miss the point in this way. The statement Black Lives Matters doesn't mean they matter more than anyone else's lives. It means they should matter as much as all lives, but black people are disproportionately effected by racism, police brutality, murder and so on forth.

A chance to try and educate that person. Some people won't try to "get" it though which is disappointing but the conversations must go on.

 

[jammy]

 

[kat.becs]

Came across this video and had to share

 

[jewelkitty]

I completely agree white privilege exists, but sometimes I think in certain situations it's CLASS privilege and not white privilege at play. I feel like class privilege sometimes disappears into the shadow of white privilege.

 

[PrincessCharming]

How far ahead of time? I would argue that 8 minutes before George’s death the police officer planned to kill him. At any point in those minutes he could have stopped with no harm coming to him or his colleagues. He didn’t have to put his knee on him at at point, George didn’t pose a threat to any of them at any time.

 

[GossWhore]

I am hesitant to even write this after a post about George Floyd, but I was wondering if the ladies of the white allyship space think I should bring this up with the BBC. It’s so trivial in the scheme of things, but I love Gardeners World and they broadcast viewers submissions/garden tour type things. Anyway it’s overwhelmingly white..... think they had a British Pakistani family on early on and maybe one other POC and I know they have a WOC who is a presenter..... I’d noticed it even before the Christian Cooper incident, which then made me start thinking even more.... anyway, so trivial but do you think it’s worth an email to them?

A lot of black influencers are asking brands to pull up or shut up.

By "pull up" it means showing how you are making concrete change, who is on your executive board, who you employee.

Ask the BBC to pull up x

 

[GossWhore]

I went online this evening to order Some books, Why I’m no longer talking to white people about race and White Privilege, I only tried ethical sites because it feels disingenuous to order these books on a site that pays little to no tax... they were sold out everywhere !! That fills me with hope, thank you @GossWhore for sharing so freely and taking time to educate, I know that takes so much emotional energy to do but I’m so thankful to have people like you to learn from.

The author of Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People about race doesn't want to make a profit from the book and has asked people to find her book for free and donate what they would of spent to black organisations

Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge (Ebook) - Read free for 30 days

'Every voice raised against racism chips away at its power. We can't afford to stay silent. This book is an attempt to speak' *Updated edition featuring a new afterword* The book that sparked a national conversation. Exploring everything from eradicated black history to the inextricable link...

www.scribd.com

 

[Coffeetrampbiatch]

A really powerful video that I’ve re-posted on my Instagram. This is a reality for families of POC. White privilege is never having to worry about having these conversations with our children. NOBODY should have to have these conversations.

That video broke me and I shared it also. It’s so powerful. How can anyone think this is ok.

Are we not able to have peaceful protests? How what is happening now is going to make any difference, if anything when I see it, it just makes me more angry and it's all so pointless.

How can more deaths be OK?

There are so many peaceful protests happening all over America right now and across Europe too. I won’t deny there has been rioting too, but it’s naive to assume that all of that is coming from the BLM movement. A lot of it comes from people who infiltrate movements like this to dismantle them from the inside.

Last post on this, Just seen this posted elsewhere, there's a protest and then there's crime.

You’re quite purposefully burying your head in the sand with this stuff. Your fake concern about covid when a report released today states that BAME are far more likely to die from COVID that had absolutely 0 suggestion from the government on how to help and protect BAME is a bit of a joke. Most protests and most protestors are looting or being violent. High profile Protests often attract those who seek to destroy property at any cost, there are so many examples of this. And honestly I do not want to see another drop of blood spilled but I spent today researching police violence and I am emotionally drained, I cannot imagine how it feels to face this, to be scared for your children, to never be able to step back into the comfortable white world I live in. I can see how all that pain,
anger and frustration can build up into this.

 

[GossWhore]

I'm calling you out @Callmemaybe

You think you can post this video I've seen on far right Facebook, like this post below and add NOTHING of value to this conversation?

Add your intelligent stance to the conversation.

In regards to MrsBrownBoys comment. White people can suffer racial discrimination and prejudice but racism in this country is systematic. If that upsets you, fine. But its the truth.

 

[GossWhore]

So my husband and I have had a quite difficult conversation this morning.
I’ve been doing lots of reading and self reflection this week - and I’ve learned a LOT. As a family, we are very left wing and inclusive and I was shocked at the amount I didn’t know.
My husband and I were chatting this morning about a news article we’d both seen about Minneapolis deciding to defund the police. I had read a few articles about why this is being seen as a possible solution and how it would work in practice, so when I saw the article I felt a sense of joy that the protests in the US are having an impact. My husbands take on it was that it’s a stupid idea. I wanted to understand his viewpoint but it turns out that the extent of his knowledge on it was that one news article. This opened up a can of worms where it came to light that the extent of his reading on this whole issue was: the things he happened to stumble across on his Facebook and twitter feed. Naturally this means that all he’s seen (by his own admission) is statues of slave traders in Britain being defaced/torn down, and people “rioting and looting” in the US.
I pointed out that this was problematic because whilst he agrees with the sentiment of black lives matter, he wasn’t actually doing anything the enhance his own understanding. By following major news outlets but no prominent black speakers he was only listening to one side, in an argument that really shouldn’t have two sides (I say this in the sense of I don’t think whites people have a leg to stand on when ‘debating’ black lives matter, a lot just think they do, and that’s the side he’s been reading on). Granted he doesn’t agree with the majority of what he’s been seeing, but I found it quite upsetting that he’d made absolutely zero effort to try and be better and learn, almost like the mentality of thinking he was already an expert on something he actually knows hardly anything about.

It came to a head where I told him I was really disappointed he hadn’t taken this opportunity to learn and be better. He said it’s because he hasn’t wanted to, because it’s too much. I basically said tough shit we don’t have a choice anymore.

In the end he’s asked if I can direct him towards some accounts or information where he won’t get it wrong - he wants to do better. The only problem is he’s primarily on twitter and I don’t use it.
So would anyone be able to direct me towards some twitter accounts that have been really useful and informative throughout this movement? So I can pass them onto him and diversify his newsfeed away from the typical news outlets.

Thanks in advance.

Hi.

I love the fact you didn't just brush it aside. The conversations will be uncomfortable, but past that you will get to why that is and understanding.

Yes he definitely needs to diversify his Twitter to understand if that's where he spends most time. Facebook is the worst. Ceespool of racists who don't want to change and you can't convince them.

Accounts to follow:
@ColorOfChange
@Rachel.
@NAACP
@ShowUp4RJ
@fams2gether

@UNITEDWEDREAM
@civilrightsorg
@eji_org
@SisterSong_WOC
@Blklivesmatter
@nowhitesaviors
@RachelCargle


https://mobile.twitter.com/AliceSiberry/status/1269614693779464194
This thread was enlightening to my friends



Where you can start: https://tattle.life/threads/19920/ - maybe choose 1 book or film to watch and start from there


Defunding the police articles

What does 'defund the police' mean? The rallying cry sweeping the US – explained | US policing | The Guardian

Activists have long advocated taking money from police and reinvesting it in services. The idea is now seeing a wave of support

amp.theguardian.com

'Defund the police' - here's what that actually means

It's something Black Lives Matter protestors are calling for.

uk.style.yahoo.com

Just an interesting article about police being entrenched in their ways and systematic racism (Stephen Lawrence comes to mind)

You can’t change the cops - Socialist Worker

Thousands of people have taken to the streets in anger at police violence and racism. Alistair Farrow argues that an institution designed to repress our class is beyond reform

socialistworker.co.uk

.

 

[Eltonjohnsflorist]

I actually have to LAUGH at you raising raising of 70,000 White people in SA. Do you have any idea of the history of that country? 70,000? And how many black people. That’s almost the same as bringing up one white springwatch presenter as a comparison to discrimination against black employees. Oh wait....

 

[MotherofDragons]

I’m so sorry you have had to experience such awful things. I know sorry isn’t enough, and that it will be meaningless until black lives matter and there is an end to the racism experienced by so many. As a white person, I will never understand what it is like but my heart breaks for you and everyone in the POC community. I am an ally and I will continue to use my voice to fight for a change.

@Deepsigh2018 I second exactly what @prinnygrace has written here, I couldn't have put it so eloquently myself. I am deeply sorry for what you have experienced; I truly hope that this brings about real change.

 

[Boredofthegram]

Thank you for this post. I’ve always prided myself on not being racist but I think I’m starting to truly understand how being ANTI racist is different, and that’s what I’m now aiming for.

Exactly this. I’ve been educating myself more over the past couple of days and it’s been eye opening.

 

[bubbletea123]

Oh my god that video

If that was someone not a police uniform, it would be called TERRORISM.