Weekly Reflection: White terrorists, Black spaces, and deleting Facebook.
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Hi everyone,
Each Saturday I go through the questions and reflections from the community in response to the actions we've been taking everyday. It's a good way to reflect further on the key themes – and catch up on any actions you missed this week. This weekly series needs a better title...
Many of the questions this week are too broad for a simple one-paragraph response, and are added to the list for future newsletters! And kind reminder that these daily newsletters should be part – but not all – of your anti-racism education and actions. There is no such thing as "enough" until we are all free! They're designed to introduce you to issues, but certainly can't paint the whole picture in 800-1000 words. Keep learning and listening.
As always, you can invest one-time on Paypal or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza) or monthly on Patreon to keep these conversations growing. I'm so grateful to be learning and unlearning with each of you.
Nicole
TAKE ACTION
1. Choose one newsletter from this week. Share with a friend to read, and discuss afterwards. Commit together to diving deeper, answering your questions, and learning more.
WEEKLY REFLECTION
Why is it that white men, whether at schools or otherwise, are very rarely reported and / or labeled as terrorists?
In response to Don't Vote for Trump, which analyzes the white supremacy movement in America
Racism, put simply. Ibram X. Kendi puts it simply – terror in America (and in many parts of the world) has been branded as something delivered by Black and Brown communities (The Atlantic). White men that commit acts of terror are usually referred to a "troubled individual" "acting alone," but in reality (like in the examples from our newsletter on Confederate symbols) they are nearly always perpetuating a violent and racist ideology – one that's embedded in the fabric of our society.
Teen Vogue has done some powerful reporting on this, analyzing both the response to the Parkland school shooting (Teen Vogue) and criticizing how certain people get named terrorists (Teen Vogue). And the NYTimes analyzes how the white supremacy ideology thrives online and in the Trump administration (NYTimes).
Thank you to person that submitted this question WITH the research they've done so far!
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In the American imagination, danger comes mainly in black or brown, to the point that people miss the threat emanating from individuals who happen to be white. In recent years, white terrorists motivated by all sorts of bigotry have shot up white churches and synagogues and concerts and schools and bars and yoga studios. White people, not to mention the rest of us, are being terrorized—primarily by other white people. Any day can be the day they meet the final face of white terror, too.
The fundamental question of our time is whether we have enough respect for humanity to protect against white terror. Do we have the desire and the courage to preserve and extend pockets of equality, liberty, and democracy in the face of those who would subvert and destroy them?
– Ibram X. Kendi in The Atlantic
Do we all leave Facebook so we're not complicit?
In response to 6.30 newsletter Boycott as a form of protest, which reviewed the power of boycotts in the anti-racism movement.
Facebook is a powerful tool for staying connected with friends and running businesses. It might do you more good to stay informed and active online than going dark altogether. But that choice is up to you. It's highly unlikely enough people will boycott the service to cause Facebook to change, but it is likely that brands pulling millions of advertising money will. My opinion? I'd focus on getting the large company you may work for to pull ad revenue (if they use FB) than deactivate your own account.
But I get a lot of questions like these that feel less tactical, more moral (although this particular reader sounded very tactical, so just using this as an example). For moral questions, I leave that decision up to you. Ask yourself the questions and decide: what are you willing to sacrifice? What is being called for in this moment? Are you taking action for yourself or the greater good? Will this action be your only action? Is this action the most comfortable one?
How do I find black-owned businesses?
Google!
I’m a white woman and want to support Black businesses. I also want to be cognizant of Black spaces and not infiltrating them with our whiteness. Can you touch on this?
Supporting Black-owned businesses with your dollars is always a good thing (and please remember to make it sustainable, not just a one-time thing, because Black-owned businesses have operationalized to manage demand that might disappear once the protests fade). But you bring up an interesting intersection of supporting these businesses and gentrifying them with your presence.
I'll spend time on gentrification more broadly later on. But I think there needs to be a distinction between Black-owned businesses and Black spaces. Black people – and other people of color – deserve their own space to connect and heal (great article on this by The Arrow) but that might not be a Black-owned business, which may be designed to cater to any population. And start asking yourself questions about whether you belong in that space, how people will feel with your presence, and how you would be actively contributing. It takes a level of awareness about how to navigate spaces – an awareness that Black people, and other people of color, have had to practice their entire lives.
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