Right? Because she most definitely spoke up without acting on inequalities.
I did not read 250+ replies; again I have a newborn. I read the original article and wanted to acknowledge a good read. I am well aware of the inequalities mentioned in this article, in the posts the past few weeks, and in everyday life. I may be the typical "white person" by appearance, but my immediate family does not look like me at all. I have experienced first hand many of these inequalities and prejudice acts to my mother (who is Portuguese and American Indian but looks Latina) including her getting asked multiples times who's kids she was babysitting, harassing her to see if her "employer" would like to know about what she was doing with their children. I thought the point of this was to educate and spread awareness; act when applicable; not get in a pissing match about perceived views of who we each are as individuals. I have no malicious intent to my comment, simply that it was a good read and that it will be added to my list of resources in my everyday life.
Catching up (again) on the mess that is GBCN. Sigh.
mandapanda18 - you need to read the thread. If we've learned anything over the last few weeks, it's that when a thread hits this length, especially racially themed threads, there is valuable knowledge to be found and people showing their asses. Both of these are important to see because we (ETA: white people) need to be made to feel uncomfortable and actually take away something from this shit storm.
I would do a TL;DR for you (and everyone else) but it's not right. Put in the time and read.
Post by undecidedowl on Sept 16, 2016 6:48:40 GMT -5
Okay, I'll give people a hint. If a conversation thread on race is posted and only has 1 page of conversation, it's likely still on topic. If it has any more than 2 pages, you need to read it as something has clearly happened. Don't fool yourself into thinking a thread blew up with agreement and conversation. People are looking for drama, not education it seems.
What did I say the other day? Right. White people are incapable of learning and of not making everything about themselves. This thread is once again proving that.
I just don't even know what to say. These boards have been filled with straight up hate and racism this week. I'm positive it's always been there and we are only now recognizing it. Every day I log into gbcn afraid of what I'm going to see next. I sure don't blame our WOC for not wanting to post here anymore because I sure don't want to, either. I'm staying here of course. Hopefully next time this foolishness happens (so like, probably today with our track record) it won't take a WOC to call it out.
Post by longtimenopost on Sept 16, 2016 7:30:42 GMT -5
mandapanda18, I get it, you have a newborn and are tired, emotional, etc. We've all been there. But we're at a point where if you don't have the time and energy to read the entire post and really think about what you can add to the conversation, it's better just to stay silent and take in what you can.
Never ever use that word. There is no reason I can think of could ever make it okay.
Why is she not kicked off this board?
The WOC here, admins, and others agree that you have to let people show you who they are. It is the board's responsibility to create an inclusive community, which includes standing up and most importantly remembering people's transgressions 3 months down the road when people wonder where lovely racist tamb is. We aren't going to ban people for being racist and basic.
WTF? This isn't an excuse or something that deserves rationalization. I'm shocked this is even a story worth sharing because it seems like an out, or a loophole in why people behave badly, much like the mental illness alibi. In America, white people know not to use that word. Everyone knows not to use that word on some level, unless they are black. White people, especially on this board, know using in public is grounds for being fired, fined (depending on you level of influence) and/ or publically shamed (unless you roll with bigots, and are a bigot by association). There is no, "I didn't know" type of wilful ignorance, with this word, in The States. People who use the word, willingly and freely, so it rolls as softly as rain, are doing so intentionally.
If you were raised otherwise, that says something about the people around you. If that's the norm where you're from, or where you reside, you have bigger issues you need to work on, immediately.
One of my parents is a legit racist and I have a visceral reaction to that word. Good lord. I hope nobody reading CloudBee's story gets the impression that they can cite their childhood and say "well I was never taught." You are a grown ass adult raising children in the year 2016 and your upbringing is not an excuse.
Yeah my parents are definitely in the I'm not racist but group, and even I was taught that it was an awful word you NEVER say/write/repeat because it is hurtful.
Post by dexteroni on Sept 17, 2016 14:37:13 GMT -5
This is my first foray into all of these posts, and I'm horrified at what has been going on, both the new stuff and the BS that has been occurring all along but was never called out. To all of the WOC, it's fucking sick that this keeps happening. And @kirkette , it's even more sick that you especially keep receiving the most pointed ones. Jesus.
This article hit home for me, and not in a good way, in an "oh fuck" way. Of course I'm on board with equality, but what have I done to promote equality on a larger basis, outside of treating the people I encounter on a daily basis fairly*? Embarrassingly nothing. That needs to change, and will. And I feel like a bullshit ally for saying it, but I hope that in this case, and in these posts, it's better to say it than say nothing.
*I think I do. Of course there's always room for improvement.
You, @kirkette , are an amazing woman. So much grace.SaveSave
Every time we had to read that book out loud, in my lily white classes, my classmates either turned bright red, ghost white, or green with sickness, as they tried to avoid looking at me. They usually could only manage to whisper the word, while slumping down in their chair, in attempts to hide from everyone else in the room. Many of the readers who got, "popcorned" into reading one of those fateful paragraphs, wound up in tears of shame, or had to be excuse to go take a walk outside to regroup.
You know what that means? That means that their parents raised them well. That means, as adults, they know not to go around saying, or typing, that word, with ease, like it has no meaning, weight, or societal significance.
Thanks for this perspective. I mentioned in another thread that when teaching TKAM we had a discussion about the word and did not use it reading aloud in class. Huck Finn was taught to 11th graders and I was teaching 8th and 9th, but I will re think this method, and seek some more perspectives of POC before I start teaching again.
Every time we had to read that book out loud, in my lily white classes, my classmates either turned bright red, ghost white, or green with sickness, as they tried to avoid looking at me. They usually could only manage to whisper the word, while slumping down in their chair, in attempts to hide from everyone else in the room. Many of the readers who got, "popcorned" into reading one of those fateful paragraphs, wound up in tears of shame, or had to be excuse to go take a walk outside to regroup.
You know what that means? That means that their parents raised them well. That means, as adults, they know not to go around saying, or typing, that word, with ease, like it has no meaning, weight, or societal significance.
Thanks for this perspective. I mentioned in another thread that when teaching TKAM we had a discussion about the word and did not use it reading aloud in class. Huck Finn was taught to 11th graders and I was teaching 8th and 9th, but I will re think this method, and seek some more perspectives of POC before I start teaching again.
I like to read Leon's Story with my sixth graders and it's in there a few times. We always have a discussion on why the author used the word in the book, but I've never been sure about whether or not we should say it out loud when we're reading the story.
Thanks for this perspective. I mentioned in another thread that when teaching TKAM we had a discussion about the word and did not use it reading aloud in class. Huck Finn was taught to 11th graders and I was teaching 8th and 9th, but I will re think this method, and seek some more perspectives of POC before I start teaching again.
I like to read Leon's Story with my sixth graders and it's in there a few times. We always have a discussion on why the author used the word in the book, but I've never been sure about whether or not we should say it out loud when we're reading the story.
I think our 11th grade teacher has them use it with Huck Finn, but I agree I'm never sure about my approach. I've definitely erred on the side of white teacher not having 8 th and 9th grade predominately white students using it, but I'm willing to accept that that's my own predispositions to hearing them say the word, and I should get over it in this particular instance.