Myisha T Hill has a great seminar coming up entitled ๐๐๐ฉโ๐จ ๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ผ๐๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐๐ฉ: ๐๐๐๐ฃ, ๐๐๐๐ข๐, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ฝ๐ค๐๐ฎ โ ๐ผ ๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐จ๐๐ค๐ง๐ข๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ค๐ง๐ ๐จ๐๐ค๐ฅ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐ข๐ค๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ก ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐๐, ๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐พ๐ช๐ก๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐, ๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐ค๐ง๐ which deals with something Iโve been talking about for way too many years not specific to white women but just women in general, how they rarely get motivated by anything other than shame and guilt when it comes to making any kind of change.
She brings up this idea of White Wounds which I think is epic.
We all have wounds to be sure โฆ but Black Wounds are very different from White Wounds and when you think about the fact that white women especially tend to actively or subconsciously uphold misogynistic beliefs and work against their own self interests in that regard, it becomes a really interesting exploration of what white wounds look like especially from the lens of a Black woman. I would highly recommend this discussion for many people.
Another thing she discusses is getting white people in touch with their wounds and how those wounds get in the way of their own self development, healing, and how these wounds fuel racism and white supremacist belief systems:
๐๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ฌ๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐? ๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐ค ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐จ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฝ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ข๐๐ฃ ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ?
๐๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐๐๐ง? ๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ฝ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ข๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ ๐จ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐ฎ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐ฌ๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐จ๐จ?
๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐ค ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐? ๐ ๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฎ, ๐ผ๐ง๐๐ช๐, ๐ฟ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง๐จ๐๐ก๐?
She brings up these questions especially in terms of how white people respond to her expressing her lived experience online (I have the same problems here on CoSo sometimes) and how there is this constant need that white people have to try and shut Black people (or any member of the Global Majority) up or down when they start expressing their truth.
The fact is these behaviors stem from racism and anti-Blackness though white people are reluctant to simply admit that โฆ
These questions:
๐๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ฌ๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐? ๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐ค ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐จ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฝ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ข๐๐ฃ ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ?
๐๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐๐๐ง? ๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ฝ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ข๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ ๐จ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐ฎ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐ฌ๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐จ๐จ?
๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐ค ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐? ๐ ๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฎ, ๐ผ๐ง๐๐ช๐, ๐ฟ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง๐จ๐๐ก๐?
Are LEGIT questions that I think many white people (and other non-Black folks) need to ask themselves and be able to answer.
Many cannot or simply wonโt because the truth is tied to a wound or racism.
I wonder why white people find it so hard to just admit that they are racist or anti-Black.
You canโt work on changing something that you arenโt willing to admit. Or maybe you just feel like you shouldnโt admit something that you were indoctrinated into or groomed into because itโs not your fault? But just because something isnโt your fault doesnโt mean that ignoring it changes your level of personal responsibility regarding how you continuously or subconsciously perpetuate it and cause harm.
๐๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ฌ๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐? ๐๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐๐๐ง? ๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐ค ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ ๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฎ, ๐ผ๐ง๐๐ช๐, ๐ฟ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง๐จ๐๐ก๐ โฆ instead of just admitting that you are a victim of a system that we ALL (no matter what race or culture or gender) have been subjugated, changed, and indoctrinated into.
Youโre NOT ALONE in this victimization. Youโre NOT ALONE in this imprisonment. Youโre not the only person who is racist or anti-Black or who subconsciously perpetuates harm because of things youโve been taught your entire life.
Admitting that you are also a victim means you can begin a process of HEALING and LEARNING and HELPING OTHERS.
Admitting that you perpetuate harm because you are simply afraid or ignorant means you can begin a process of CHANGING and STOPPING the abuse you are inflicting on others without realizing it.
Why would you NOT want to do these things? Why would you CHOOSE to continue harming others and upholding destructive systems that oppress others?
Because you donโt care is usually the answer.
So the basic answer to these questions โฆ why wonโt white people just admit they are racist โฆ is because they donโt care that they are โฆ
Itโs because theyโre fine being knowing and willing victims of a system that has brainwashed them and made them believe the lie of white supremacy when they are actually a minority.
Itโs because they have fear that in admitting they are also victims of oppression and grooming, it means they have to reflect on everything they have done and do.
The concept that white people are ALSO VICTIMS might be a weird concept for some people to understand. Indoctrination, grooming, programming, and brainwashing are not things that ONLY happen to weak people or minorities.
The mere fact that you DONโT think you are racist but probably spend most of your time perpetuating racism without realizing it โฆ MEANS you have been indoctrinated, groomed, programmed, and brainwashed โฆ
Itโs not hard to understand this stuff. Youโre just choosing not to.
๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐ช๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ค๐๐จ๐ฃโ๐ฉ ๐จ๐๐ฉ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐ง๐๐. ๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐ฃ ๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐จ๐ค๐ฃ ๐ค๐ ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐๐๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฎ. ๐ ๐๐ค๐ฃโ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐จ๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ผ๐๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฃ. ๐๐ฉโ๐จ ๐๐๐จ๐๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐จ๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ง ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐ค๐ฃโ๐ฉ ๐ง๐๐๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐ง๐. ๐ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ช๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐ช๐ฉ๐. ๐ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ช๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ง ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ. ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐ช๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐ค๐ค๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐จ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ข๐ฎ ๐ฌ๐๐ค๐ก๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ง๐๐๐ก๐๐ฏ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ค. โ Elaine Barlow (7th Grade)
