Weekly Obsession, July 8, 2014
My weekly obsession is a favorite Tumblr (<that's my account, not the favorite one)account I follow. A quick explanation of tumblr: it's a blog, but instead of just sharing written posts you can share your own and others pictures, links, thoughts, gifs, what have you. I follow over 100 blogs that range from spoken word, recipes, (lots of) feminism, and White People Said What?
I don't even know how I found this blog, likely through some other one I follow, but it has quickly risen to the top as a favorite. Its description/bio reads: "This is a safe space for PoC to talk about our everyday experiences on racism in the many forms from blatant offenses to micro-aggressions. This is a space only for PoC. Not white people. Do not send in anything if you are white, this space is dedicated to us and only us." At first I wasn't sure how much I liked the honesty of this blog (I kinda thought 'Oooh, you can't say that'), because it isn't common (at least in my life) to openly discuss what it means to be a PoC (Person of Color) in the USA (and other places), but the more I read from this blog, the more I felt safe and a kinship with the people submitting and creating these posts. In the past week, they (the admins of the blog) have been calling for people to submit a 'side-eye selfie' with things people (likely white people) have said in regards to their race. I can't even try to pick a favorite, but check out this page and all the other pages. Just follow the damn blog; it's enlightening whether you're a PoC or not. Some of the comments people have encountered and posted sound identical to ones I have grown up hearing, these comments have become so familiar to me I have ignored the ignorant, racist undertones and just become accustomed to always being asked and insulted with: "where are you from, no like WHERE are you from?; what are you?; why don't you sound black?; you're like an Oreo; is there some white in your family?...I knew there was some white in your family; I could tell there was some white in your family because your skin is so light (people who say this clearly have ZERO understanding of genetics); can I touch your hair?; which parent is white?; but your hair isn't nappy; *just straight up touches my hair with no permission*; you have a black girl ass, congrats; you're pretty, for a black girl; I forgot you were black until you started singing Beyoncé/any artist that's black; you listen to bluegrass (people who say this have no grasp on where bluegrass music comes from); you don't listen to [insert name of misogynistic rapper]? I'm blacker than you!; how do you feel about the word nigga/nigger?; is negro a bad word?; you sunburn?; you're a vegetarian, but you're black; do you date just black men?; you have an accent, where are you from?; you could pass as Latina (people who say this don't understand that's Latinos are not a race); you don't talk ghetto (not a language, but no I don't speak AAVE); ooo, you got good hair, you must be mixed; you're smarter than I thought you'd be; can you swim? I heard black people can't swim; you're such an angry black woman; you know you love being the token/only black person in the group; you're way more polite than your people; you don't wash your hair everyday?! Gross!; black people are dirty, but not you, you're different, you love dogs? I thought black people were scared of dogs." I could literally go on for days.
I'm willing to put money (but not really because I don't gamble) on this, that you have said some of this stuff to any brown person you've felt comfortable enough with. And I'm here to tell you to shut the hell up. Please and Thank you. I know some of these above questions really aren't that bad and that the only way people will learn is by honest inquiry, but being constantly reminded of one's brownness is something white people will likely never understand. White people have the privilege of not constantly being made aware of their race, but PoC (in the US, at least) don't have that privilege, not yet at least. I earnestly invite you to check out this blog, it can bring a lot of insight into what it's like for PoC to live in a world in which 'white is right.'
I don't even know how I found this blog, likely through some other one I follow, but it has quickly risen to the top as a favorite. Its description/bio reads: "This is a safe space for PoC to talk about our everyday experiences on racism in the many forms from blatant offenses to micro-aggressions. This is a space only for PoC. Not white people. Do not send in anything if you are white, this space is dedicated to us and only us." At first I wasn't sure how much I liked the honesty of this blog (I kinda thought 'Oooh, you can't say that'), because it isn't common (at least in my life) to openly discuss what it means to be a PoC (Person of Color) in the USA (and other places), but the more I read from this blog, the more I felt safe and a kinship with the people submitting and creating these posts. In the past week, they (the admins of the blog) have been calling for people to submit a 'side-eye selfie' with things people (likely white people) have said in regards to their race. I can't even try to pick a favorite, but check out this page and all the other pages. Just follow the damn blog; it's enlightening whether you're a PoC or not. Some of the comments people have encountered and posted sound identical to ones I have grown up hearing, these comments have become so familiar to me I have ignored the ignorant, racist undertones and just become accustomed to always being asked and insulted with: "where are you from, no like WHERE are you from?; what are you?; why don't you sound black?; you're like an Oreo; is there some white in your family?...I knew there was some white in your family; I could tell there was some white in your family because your skin is so light (people who say this clearly have ZERO understanding of genetics); can I touch your hair?; which parent is white?; but your hair isn't nappy; *just straight up touches my hair with no permission*; you have a black girl ass, congrats; you're pretty, for a black girl; I forgot you were black until you started singing Beyoncé/any artist that's black; you listen to bluegrass (people who say this have no grasp on where bluegrass music comes from); you don't listen to [insert name of misogynistic rapper]? I'm blacker than you!; how do you feel about the word nigga/nigger?; is negro a bad word?; you sunburn?; you're a vegetarian, but you're black; do you date just black men?; you have an accent, where are you from?; you could pass as Latina (people who say this don't understand that's Latinos are not a race); you don't talk ghetto (not a language, but no I don't speak AAVE); ooo, you got good hair, you must be mixed; you're smarter than I thought you'd be; can you swim? I heard black people can't swim; you're such an angry black woman; you know you love being the token/only black person in the group; you're way more polite than your people; you don't wash your hair everyday?! Gross!; black people are dirty, but not you, you're different, you love dogs? I thought black people were scared of dogs." I could literally go on for days.
I'm willing to put money (but not really because I don't gamble) on this, that you have said some of this stuff to any brown person you've felt comfortable enough with. And I'm here to tell you to shut the hell up. Please and Thank you. I know some of these above questions really aren't that bad and that the only way people will learn is by honest inquiry, but being constantly reminded of one's brownness is something white people will likely never understand. White people have the privilege of not constantly being made aware of their race, but PoC (in the US, at least) don't have that privilege, not yet at least. I earnestly invite you to check out this blog, it can bring a lot of insight into what it's like for PoC to live in a world in which 'white is right.'
(here's my 'side-eye selfie')
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