Things White People Can Do To Promote Racial Justice

[Matata]

Forgot I had stashed bread in the oven to keep the cats from running off with it and the next day turned on the oven to bake something. That was a fun clean up. Plastic bag melted and then reformed itself into a substance harder than diamond.

Put a whole hard boiled egg in the microwave to heat it (didn't poke a hole in it, again, another long hard day) and it exploded when I opened the microwave door. First night in new house. The blast zone encompassed 50% of the house. I was covered in a mist of egg. Microscopic bits of egg were propelled around corners and into the living and dining rooms. Ceilings, walls, everywhere. I was still finding egg bits 3 yrs later.

 

[nala]

Forgot I had stashed bread in the oven to keep the cats from running off with it and the next day turned on the oven to bake something. That was a fun clean up. Plastic bag melted and then reformed itself into a substance harder than diamond.

Put a whole hard boiled egg in the microwave to heat it (didn't poke a hole in it, again, another long hard day) and it exploded when I opened the microwave door. First night in new house. The blast zone encompassed 50% of the house. I was covered in a mist of egg. Microscopic bits of egg were propelled around corners and into the living and dining rooms. Ceilings, walls, everywhere. I was still finding egg bits 3 yrs later.

Now you are making stuff up...it is appreciated!

 

[yssie]

Forgot I had stashed bread in the oven to keep the cats from running off with it and the next day turned on the oven to bake something. That was a fun clean up. Plastic bag melted and then reformed itself into a substance harder than diamond.

Put a whole hard boiled egg in the microwave to heat it (didn't poke a hole in it, again, another long hard day) and it exploded when I opened the microwave door. First night in new house. The blast zone encompassed 50% of the house. I was covered in a mist of egg. Microscopic bits of egg were propelled around corners and into the living and dining rooms. Ceilings, walls, everywhere. I was still finding egg bits 3 yrs later.

Whether or not this is a #TrueStory - gotta say I'm feeling a lot better about myself and my slightly-greened-yolk-but-wholly-intact hard boiled egg right now

 

[monarch64]

Intensive reading list:

Shareable Anti-racism Resource Guide

“In a racist society it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.” ___ Angela Davis “One either allows racial inequities to persevere, as a racist, or confronts racial inequities, as an antiracist. There is no in-between safe space of “not racist.” The claim of “not...

docs.google.com

 

[Matata]

@nala and @yssie, I swear on the lives of my cats who are my most precious possessions, that both incidents are true. I was fortunate that the egg hit my face but not my eyes because I would have been seriously hurt. The bits that hit my face left burn marks.

 

[OboeGal]

Forgot I had stashed bread in the oven to keep the cats from running off with it and the next day turned on the oven to bake something. That was a fun clean up. Plastic bag melted and then reformed itself into a substance harder than diamond.

Put a whole hard boiled egg in the microwave to heat it (didn't poke a hole in it, again, another long hard day) and it exploded when I opened the microwave door. First night in new house. The blast zone encompassed 50% of the house. I was covered in a mist of egg. Microscopic bits of egg were propelled around corners and into the living and dining rooms. Ceilings, walls, everywhere. I was still finding egg bits 3 yrs later.

 

[yssie]

@nala and @yssie, I swear on the lives of my cats who are my most precious possessions, that both incidents are true. I was fortunate that the egg hit my face but not my eyes because I would have been seriously hurt. The bits that hit my face left burn marks.

I'm laughing
I'm sorry, I can't not
I'm very glad your eyes were spared!!
... The smell this must have created, OMG...

 

[Matata]

@yssie, I'm comforted and blessed by the depth of your sympathy. LOL. Gotta go to sleep. Having a friend over tomorrow for a repeat of an afternoon of margaritas and snackies. Must be well rested.

 

[Missy]

Obama On George Floyd's Death And The 'Maddening' Normalcy Of Racism

Former President Barack Obama has responded to the Minneapolis death that has set off protests and drawn national attention, including President Trump's. Read his full statement.

www.npr.org

"... it falls on all of us, regardless of our race or station — to work together to create a "new normal" in which the legacy of bigotry and unequal treatment no longer infects our institutions or our hearts."

24 books for white people to read beyond Black History Month

For many years I was a clueless white guy. I suffered from one-ness. What I really needed was two-ness, and maybe three-ness and four-ness. I came to see my whi…

theundefeated.com

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

 

[Tekate]

A good friend of mine posted this on FB this morning, I cried, for me that was amazing. My problem is how to eradicate racism, just seems worse than in the 60s. I dunno. Peace.

 

[aljdewey]

Doesn't matter the color of your skin, white,pink, black,green or yellow, just don't break the law.

Normally, I'm able to just ignore posts you make like this, because I know you are merely pot-stirring.

But today, writing off a post like this to harmless pot-stirring just isn't good enough.

DF, your statement implies that if only you don't break the law, you won't be discriminated against based on the color of your skin, and that's categorically untrue.

Ahmaud Arbery (a young black male) entered a house under construction to look at it while out on a jog. I did the same thing while house-hunting; I entered the unlocked framed house to look at it. It was not unlawful behavior for either one of us, but I'm alive today and he's dead. No one called the police to report that me as a potential burglary suspect because I'm a middle-aged white woman. Someone called the police on him, and it was not because they suspected burglary - what the heck can you steal from an empty, unfinished house? No, it was based solely on the fact that he was black and racist neighbors reacted. Then, other fellow racists cornered him and killed him.

68-year old Marvia Gray and her 43-year old son Derek Gray (both black) purchased a 65" television at Sam's Club. When they couldn't fit it into their car, they asked the store to hold it until they could come back to pick it up. When he went back to get it, someone accused him of stealing it. Despite a store employee confirming that Gray had purchased the TV, he was still followed to his car and accused of theft by a police officer. Subsequently the Grays decided to return the TV to the store for a refund, at which time they were violently put to the floor, handcuffed and injured by four officers.

They didn't break the law either, DF - they lawfully purchased a TV, and they were lawfully making a merchandise return. I've done the same thing in the past - I bought an appliance, discovered it wouldn't fit into my car, and asked the store to hold it while I went to get a larger vehicle. When I returned to get it, no one accused me of stealing it. No one followed me to my car. I was not accosted, handcuffed or injured in any way, even though I did the exact same *lawful* things the Grays did. Only difference? I'm white.

Please stop contributing to the problem by implying that POC only face discrimination if they are engaged in unlawful behavior. It's not true, and we all need to unify to reject this and demand better.

 

[telephone89]

This (white) guy tried to make himself look AS suspicious as possible and no one called the cops on him. But someone will call the cops on POC for walking down the street minding their own business.

Man Jogs Two Miles Carrying A TV To Prove A Point About Race In America

Nobody shot him, called the police, or even looked at him funny.

god.dailydot.com

 

[Matata]

Major thread jack, @aljdewey OMG IT'S SOOOO GOOD TO "SEE" YOU. I hope you are content, healthy, and prospering. Thank you for contributing to the discussion.

 

[Matata]

Here's some info on micro aggression. A sometimes, but not always, subtler form of bias.

Unmasking 'racial micro aggressions'

Some racism is so subtle that neither victim nor perpetrator may entirely understand what is going on—which may be especially toxic for people of color.

www.apa.org

21 Racial Microaggressions You Hear On A Daily Basis

A photographer at Fordham asked her peers to write down the microaggressions they've encountered. Here is what they had to say.

www.buzzfeed.com

Microaggressions: More Than Just Race

Can microaggressions be directed at women, LGBT persons, or those with disabilities? Yes.

www.psychologytoday.com

 

[JPie]

Here's some info on micro aggression. A sometimes, but not always, subtler form of bias.

Unmasking 'racial micro aggressions'

Some racism is so subtle that neither victim nor perpetrator may entirely understand what is going on—which may be especially toxic for people of color.

www.apa.org

21 Racial Microaggressions You Hear On A Daily Basis

A photographer at Fordham asked her peers to write down the microaggressions they've encountered. Here is what they had to say.

www.buzzfeed.com

Microaggressions: More Than Just Race

Can microaggressions be directed at women, LGBT persons, or those with disabilities? Yes.

www.psychologytoday.com

Ah yes, seemingly innocuous but annoying. The one I get the most is “No, really, where are you from?” Yes, I’m really from San Francisco. Literally born in the city and raised there too, so not sure how much more I can be from a place. If you want to know my ethnic background, why don’t you just ask?

My best friend had what we joked was a racist camera. It had a feature that would prompt you to ask someone to open their eyes. It always kicked in when we pointed the camera at Asian friends with particularly slanted eyes.

 

[telephone89]

I love this family’s attitude to the situation. Their restaurant is just a building. If business owners are more upset about the murder, why aren’t others?
People are more important than property.

 

[Dancing Fire]

@aljdewey is still alive and healthy!...

 

[Karl_K]

@aljdewey is still alive and healthy!...

alj is back and your gonna be in trouble...........

Welcome back alj you were missed.
How are u doing?

 

[NonieMarie]

Do not vote for racists, don't stay silent when you hear racist remarks and stop making excuses for family and friends.

 

[FL_Sol]

Doesn't matter the color of your skin, white,pink, black,green or yellow, just don't break the law.

I agree but I want to point out that the counterfeit money may have been given to him as change.
It happened to my sis and me when we were teens. Got change at a gas station and some of it was counterfeit. We had NO idea until we tried to use it later that day.
My stomach turns just thinking about this potentially (and most likely) completely innocent man.

 

[JPie]

Here’s a really great explanation of what’s going on in Minneapolis:

Thread by @lynnellmick: My dental office in the Linden Hills neighborhood of southwest Minneapolis is boarding up their windows this afternoon. We are a long way fr…

Thread by @lynnellmick: My dental office in the Linden Hills neighborhood of southwest Minneapolis is boarding up their windows this afternooa long way from the protests, so let's be clear about what's going on here. We don't have a protest problem. We h…

threadreaderapp.com

 

[telephone89]

 

[Dancing Fire]

Like I said on the deleted thread the COP is 100% guilty of murder.

 

[telephone89]

 

[yssie]

I love this family’s attitude to the situation. Their restaurant is just a building. If business owners are more upset about the murder, why aren’t others?
People are more important than property.

My god.

This is not something to applaud or celebrate.
What did this family losing their business achieve?

There is no reality in which destroying an innocent family's livelihood improves anything or resolves anything.
There is no reality in which taking one's outrage out on other innocents' health and welfare improves anything or resolves anything.

Everything about this - George Floyd's murder and response violence - is macabre and disgusting.
It's all inexcusable.

And on that note, I'll excuse myself from this thread.

 

[AGBF]

Your post was very thoughtful @alj. You are as I remembered you. I am glad you came back. It would be great if you stayed.

Deb/AGBF

 

[telephone89]

My god.

This is not something to applaud or celebrate.
What did this family losing their business achieve?

There is no reality in which destroying an innocent family's livelihood improves anything or resolves anything.
There is no reality in which taking one's outrage out on other innocents' health and welfare improves anything or resolves anything.

Everything about this - George Floyd's murder and response violence - is macabre and disgusting.
It's all inexcusable.

And on that note, I'll excuse myself from this thread.

I will absolutely, 100%, ALWAYS applaud someone for putting justice and life over property. Insurance will cover damages. Buildings can be rebuilt. What is George’s family left with? No amount of insurance money can bring their loved one back. No amount of bricks or mortar can heal their pain. Using property damage as a way to be angry with people who are expressing outrage instead of focusing on the actual issue is a total red herring.

I will say it again.
People > Property

editing to add: the point of my posting that was if the actual business owners don’t care or are IN SUPPORT of the protests then your (general) perceived outrage over it is hardly genuine.

 

[yssie]

I completely agree that George Floyd's life was worth more than anyone's property.

I completely disagree that this family's inadvertent sacrifice of their livelihood - their property, their time (who's paying their bills whilst they rebuild, with COVID-19 having already decimated the greater economy?), their money (you really think insurance is going to replace everything? That's a laugh!) to riot violence has promoted or furthered anyone's health or welfare.

Let me repeat that: Them losing their business has cost them lots and achieved absolutely nothing.

Maybe this particular family can rebuild without much hardship. What about those who can't? Will you be contributing to their GoFundMes?

Don't put words in my mouth. Noone is saying that people who denounce "property damage", as you so cavalierly term it, are ignoring the "actual issue". It is in fact possible to feel outrage about systemic racism without taking that invective out on innocent people.

Oh, and I'm not white. If that matters when evaluating the genuineness of my outrage, since you apparently feel both entitled and compelled to do so. I just happen to be able to feel empathy for more than one situation simultaneously - both George Floyd's loved ones and the innocents who will suffer because of the violent community response. Call it a gift.

 

[telephone89]

This isn’t about the protests, it’s about what the protests are about
Beyond the debates about the tactics demonstrators are using and who is and isn’t involved, there is a much deeper issue here that must remain in focus: the way black people are treated in the United States.

As Vox’s Dylan Scott put it, violent protests aren’t the story right now, police violence is:

Of course the protests are about George Floyd’s death. Political leaders fear violence at the protests — and any destruction of property or bodily harm is, of course, worrisome — but their concerns actually demonstrate the fundamental asymmetry that the protesters are pushing back against. The state has a monopoly on legitimate violence, and it is often directed at young black people like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice — the list goes on. When they die, the police officers responsible too frequently face no repercussions because they are protected by the law. If the men who killed George Floyd go to prison for their actions, they will be exceptions that prove that longstanding rule.

www.vox.com/platform/amp/identities/2020/5/30/21275694/george-floyd-protests-minneapolis-atlanta-new-york-brooklyn-cnn

this showed up weird, the whole post is an excerpt from this article.

 

[Slickk]

My god.

This is not something to applaud or celebrate.
What did this family losing their business achieve?

There is no reality in which destroying an innocent family's livelihood improves anything or resolves anything.
There is no reality in which taking one's outrage out on other innocents' health and welfare improves anything or resolves anything.

Everything about this - George Floyd's murder and response violence - is macabre and disgusting.
It's all inexcusable.

And on that note, I'll excuse myself from this thread.

Thank you @yssie for saying this so eloquently. I’m heartbroken and I am afraid for my dd in Brooklyn. It’s all so sad!
Not to mention that everyone seems to have forgotten we are in a pandemic!?