āThere are two general camps of thought in Black culture about solidarity with white people. Those who believe that it can be productive T
history of kumbaya:
https://twitter.com/absurdistwords/status/1128275772446212097?s=21
I hope I never forget this till the day I die
Am I willing to let solidarity with people actually cost me something?
Would I fight for a cause that doesnāt benefit me, or may even result in me losing privilege?
Do I even know what that privilege actually looks like, in my every day life?
damn
Do it anyway.
THISSSSSS!!!š£š£š£
And, yes, do it anyway!!!š¤·š¾āāļøš
Remember y'all, white is not a race, it's a concept used to other anyone considered not white. Italians, polish people, Jewish people, all were at one point, and still are in many cases considered non white. Dismantling whiteness is not a personal attack on you, it's an attack on the societal mechanisms of white privilege and the othering of "undesirables"
Some books I recommend to get started:
Racial Formation in the United States: From the 1960s to the 1990s ā Michael Omi & Howard Winant
Race, Reform, and Rebellion: The Second Reconstruction in Black America, 1945-1990 ā Manning Marable
The Condemnation of Blackness ā Khalil Gibran Muhammad
Dying of Whiteness ā Jonathan Metzl
Comrades: A local history of the Black Panther Party ā Judson Jeffries
The Black Panther Party: A guide to an American subculture ā Jamie J. Wilson
These will help you understand where our modern ideas of race came from, how it has always been used to disenfranchise Black people, how white people will prioritize BIPOC misery even when it means causing themselves to suffer, a brief glimpse of Black US history and scholarship, and how Black communities have organized themselves to support each other and resist the racist structure of society (the BPP had white volunteers who took BPP political classes without talking over the Black people leading them and who sacrificed social standing for helping lift Black communities out of intense, violent poverty). This is still just a baseline, you should read more and actually do the work involved; understanding the history of race is not the same as becoming anti-racist. Learn about the history of law enforcement and the prison system and how it is modern-day slavery. Learn about Black scholars and academics and politicians and activists by reading their biographies. Volunteer for/organize events that assist the poor, who are disproportionately Black (the BPP had doctors, dentists, barbers, and tutors volunteering their time and expertise to treat ailments and help Black people apply and prepare for job interviews, and breakfast and educational programs for kids before and after school). Posting on social media about whitewashed versions of Black historical figures is not adequate, it's literally the bare minimum.
