This evening, I went to the #NMOS14 rally on the Boston Common. We were there to remember the victims of police oppression. Particularly, those who have been murdered by the police. As we all know by now, abusive police tactics and the entire policing and justice system in the US is very racist. People of color are targeted for harassment, arrest, prosecution and harsher sentencing than White people.
So, when I attend a gathering such as this, I'm there as a White ally, more than as an equally suffering citizen. As an ally, I have no issue whatsoever with people of color venting their anger about racism and white domination. I saw some other white people wriggling uncomfortably at those moments, but that doesn't bother me. I find it healing that people of color can have their voice and speak their truth.
Where I found myself unsure of how to respond was when a Black woman was railing against Black men. This particular arm of the oppressive system is meted out predominantly against men of color in the US. Railing against them in that particular setting felt a lot like victim blaming. More than that, as a White woman, I don't feel it's appropriate for me to make judgements about how Black males behave in a brutally racist society.
Follow me beyond the fleur de Kos for how this becomes an internal conflict for me.
Read More