Unpopular opinion? Maybe…probably

So, rope boy and I were talking the other day about racism. He was saying how the best way to combat racism isn’t to sweep it under the rug, but to talk about it openly. I totally agree with that. In white suburbia the most common thing to do is just pretend that it doesn’t exist, and we both agreed that the best way to combat that is by talking about it.

But, here’s the problem, at least for me. I’m white. I will never be allowed in a conversation about race because I’m white. I don’t get to have any space in the conversation. It doesn’t matter what I think, how educated about the topic I am, or anything else; I am white and am not allowed. How can I have a conversation about race if I’m not allowed? How can I talk about it if both sides (white culture and POC culture) don’t want me to talk about it?

I said that to him and he just shrugged. There isn’t really a good solution. If I talk about it with POC, then I’m whitesplaning, or erasing, or am generally entering a territory where I’m not wanted because historically I’ve done some fucked up shit (this is aside from the fact that I may not be educated/have the experience to understand everything that is being said to me, no matter how hard I try.) If I talk about it with other white people, then I’m making racism a big deal, or am making everyone uncomfortable, or (in extreme cases) am a race-traitor. So what am I supposed to do if I care and want to talk and learn about it?

There’s the idea that I should just shut-up and listen. Cool, I can do that. I want to hear about what’s going on with you and the problems you face so I can understand better. But if I start caring and want to get involved in activism or the discussion, I’m not allowed. The idea is that I’m supposed to let you solve it. Cool, I get it, and that’s fine too. Go for it, not gonna stop you.

If I talk about it with other white people, who may not be as aware or educated as I am, I’m met with defiance on that end too. I want them to see what’s going on and to care about it too! But because I’m talking about racism, a non-white problem, I get hushed up. Hell, I get hushed up in general about anything controversial while in white culture, but this is doubly true for racism. So, I can’t have a conversation about it with them. And besides which, POC don’t really want me talking to other white people because I’ll probably end up white-washing everything and white people will only care because it’s a white girl talking about it. On top of that, this is yet again a white person trying to solve their problems by making other white people aware. They can do that on their own, why don’t I just back the hell off?

I guess what I’m getting at is, though I’m not entitled to enter POC space, what am I supposed to do? If I care and am aware, am I supposed to just stay quiet and not do anything? How is that any better than being uninformed? Even if I educate myself about the issues, I’ll never really understand because I’ve never experienced it and I wont be allowed in the conversation, so what’s the point in educating myself about it? Why educate myself if all I’m going to do is sit in the corner, frustrated because I can’t say anything, all the while being hyper-aware of the fact that my mere existence is oppressive? 

The whole this is, I don’t know what my role as a potential white ally is supposed to be. What am I supposed to do? And if I do nothing, then why am I bothering to educate myself and form opinions? I dunno…:/ I guess I don’t understand enough.

My brother knows racism before he’s even 16. Fuck everyone

queerhairyvag:

Welp! That’s great! Gonna rant now! AS USUAL WHAT ELSE IS NEW

Before he was 8, things were fine and dandy and he’s a happy adorable snotrag! 

He isin’t treated any differently and if he is, he’s too young to notice at the time. 

He’s 10. He’s talented at creating animation and draws like a pro.

Early primary school; things are fine but he feels a little confused that he’s one of the very few black kids in his school. Apart from that, he enjoys school and no trouble making friends. Still a witty & bright little smartass!

12 years old. Parents are called into school because teacher feels my brother cheated on a test (he was one of the few that scored the highest. Also the only black boy in his class). 

Brother is confused.  Says he didn’t cheat on anything.  Parents tell him not to cheat and to work harder.  

The year goes by.  Parents are called in again.  Teacher puts my brother at the very back of the class because “he was late for school”. 

13 years old. A little bit wary of how his teacher only seems to target him- and only him- in his entire class of 20+ pupils.   Notices he’s the only one in class not getting enough attention for homework stuff.  Doesn’t put his hand up in class for questions much anymore because parents are always called in because ‘he asks too much questions’.  

14years old.  Last year. There’s a group science project (the group with the best science model gets to represent their school and meet the President of Ireland).  Years of being good with drawings, animation and now physics helps him a lot. Other teacher remarks on how great his science model was. His group wins. He gets to meet the president.

Principal tells my brother he’s no longer allowed in his own group work. He’s replaced with a white boy that’s not even in his class. This boy and the rest of the group are the ones to meet the President and be on local newspaper. With his science project on the front. 

My brother is devastated.  He cried so hard the entire night. He was frustrated, confused, angry and shocked. 

The principal asks my brother to join the group again right after they other boys have met the president. My brother joins but he’s raging. He’s wary. The president will never know that the boy who made the science project that was on the newspapers was him. A black boy. 

He doesn’t talk much in class anymore.  He doesn’t raise his hands up anymore. He doesn’t care. School sucks. Parents are called in about his ‘bad attitude’. Parents are alert at what’s going on but say nothing because they threatened their son with expulsion. 

Brother knows his teacher hates him and singles him out. He has learnt to not be smart in class. He now hangs around a rough crowd (he’s never done this before). School sucks, who cares when your teacher mocks u in front of everyone else?

He gets into big trouble these days. His grades are slipping. He even smashed a neighbour’s window ‘for fun’. 

He’s watching other black kids in his area stereotyped as lazy hooligans. 

He is sort of becoming one. He still loves to draw and is still a bright boy in school. Teacher not happy with it because he prefers if my brother does nothing.

I’m MAAAAD when I find out finally why my brother has changed so much. I hate the world. I hate white people sometimes. You have made my brother believe that he’s good for nothing at school.  He was a bright and smart-assy kid.  

He’s a wary and quiet boy now. 

And you have no fucking idea how exhusting it is to remind him everyday that he’s just as good as all the other boys. Fuck you. I fucking hate this world. I fucking hate you for telling me that ‘racism is over, its all in your head’

I fucking HATE that my little sister (8) is being mocked by the kids in her class for ‘having chocolate fingers he wants to eat’. My sister is uncomfortable in that class when that kid is around.

I hate you for telling the world that black people aren’t good enough unless they are at the back of the class, shutting the fuck up. I hate everything at this moment. 

If racism completely alters my brother’s perception of himself, i will cry. I will rage. And I will be called the angry black fucking woman. 

And tomorrow and the rest of his childhood, he’s going to have to get over this and pretend it doesn’t happen. Pretend racism doesn’t happen. 

How Maps Subconciously Reinforce Orientalism

youarenotyou:

rubyvroom:

queernonymoose:

So I am going to be spitting some knowledge that has kept me from falling back asleep last night.

Now, to discuss maps I gotta refresh some of y’alls memory because geography is probably the farthest thing in the world for you right now. In fact I doubt they are teaching any of it in schools anymore since I’ve left elementary and middle school.

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I never even thought of that. Wow.

It’s bizarre just how weird that second map looks to me. Even though it’s objectively correct. My brain actually skips over it, like whoa that’s wrong. Stupid indoctrination.

Here’s the map thing that bugs me : the standard maps that USians see are based on a design that exaggerates the size of the Northern Hemisphere, like so:

which has the weird effect of making Africa and Greenland approximately the same size. That’s not even close to true. 

A more reality-based version of this map, using the actual measured land size of all the continents, looks like this:

Hey look! Suddenly Africa’s a whole lot bigger! So is Brazil, and India, and much of the Middle East. Meanwhile, Europe and North America got smaller. Did anybody get this second map in their schools? I sure didn’t.

also this blew my mind

I’m so used to seeing the spatially correct map that seeing it the other way totally blows my mind. I think all the maps I encountered in Japan were set up that way. Also, upside down map…mind blowing!