#Lategram ~ Attended a conference: Beyond Diversity- Courageous Conversations. One of the hardest Equity conferences I’ve ever attended. And I held a slave shackle while standing next to a Klan hood at the last one. The video is a visual representation of inequalities and white privilege. The gentleman next to me and I were tied for the lowest. The mass movement you see is 90% of people in my session standing up at the very last moment. Now during this conference some of these people would say some horribly racist things even though they are wanting to work for equity. Well I should note: I think some HAD to be there so maybe they’re not exactly wanting to fight the good fight. I snapped a response after this crying and at the end said “Fuck racism!” I don’t normally post crass language but honestly... #FuckRacism. I would feel physically sick during and after this conference. I would even experience two racist incidents immediately following this conference. But I’ve experienced many incidents before the conference and will experience many after. This path is my duty and I don’t have the luxury of doing nothing or “just not being a champion for social justice” and it’s not always fun but sometimes it’s amazing. And if what I do now can help those in the future well then... let’s go! The second picture is my face with tears and snot coming out. This invalidates me in many spaces but I don’t care- racism is racism and it sure as hell isn’t pretty, convenient, nor always private. I could’ve taken that moment of pain and held it for myself but I didn’t because that’s what racism/inequality wants- silent suffering. As Audre says “Your silence won’t save you.” There are many instances happening in the world, far more violent on a grander and wider scale but I won’t diminish my pain either. It’s alllllll connected. And the last picture well... obviously. #EffRacism #DamnInequality #NoSilence #AudreLorde #PaQueMeInvitan #SocialJusticeWarrior #TogetherWeCan #MiTierra #Juntos
