Skip to main content

HATRED OFTEN WEARS A DISGUISE






HATRED OFTEN WEARS A DISGUISE


When folk say 'let it go', that's hatred to me.

'You're overreacting' is hatred to me.

'Not all ________ ' (fill in the blank) is hatred to me.

'I spoke to my other Black friend and they said different...' is hatred to me.

'I agree with your purpose but not your methods' is hatred to me.

'Explain yourself' is hatred to me.

Attempting to filter our words or hijack our narrative is hatred to me.

'What about my feelings' is hatred to me.

'Hate only breeds hate' is hatred to me.

Your silence until offended is hatred to me.

'On both sides' is hatred to me.

'But what about...' is hatred to me.

'Well, I guess we can't be friends then' is hatred to me.

'You don't know the whole story' is hatred to me.

You saying or writing the N-word is hatred to me.

Complaining about why you can't say it while we can is hatred to me.

Sharing your one bad experience with a Black person is hatred to me.

Talking about Chicago's crime weekend is hatred to me.

You saying disparaging comments about Black celebrities is hatred to me.

Ignoring the racism all around is hatred to me.

Critiquing one tree in our lush forest of reasoning is hatred to me.

Regurgitating racist conservative and liberal narratives is hatred to me.

Insinuating that racism is somehow our fault is hatred to me.

Assuming that you are the expert on all things race is hatred to me.

Always talking about the racist EVIL of the other guy while ignoring your own is hatred to me.

Not apologizing when you realize that you're wrong in your thinking is hatred to me.

Pretending like you were on our side all along is hatred to me.

Pretending like your parents and grandparents were on our side all along is hatred to me.

‘Postracial’ is hatred to me.

Assuming you are more spiritual because you see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil is hatred to me.

Seeking to demonize us because your world is the illusion is hatred to me.

What is love to me?

Being open to the fact that everything you worked really, really hard for was made that much easier due to the color of your skin.

Questioning the narrative of holding slaveholding presidents in such high esteem.

Saying, 'Sorry for giving you so much grief all those years. Thanks for telling me anyway.'



Calling out your other friends.

Staying humble with your other white friends when you challenge them.

Not assuming that you 'got this' because you know a little bit more than you did before. No-one's 'got this'.

Not backing down at the first name-calling you receive.

Not treating it like you're doing us the favor. It's your life and your soul. Don't live a lie.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PERSUASION AND CONVICTION

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PERSUASION AND CONVICTION Decades ago, in my teens, my oldest brother and I had a talk where I said, “Can you believe that they’re having another gay pride parade?” He told me that he participated in a gay pride parade. Then we just stared at one another - and because many don’t know how to communicate without language, I will translate: Me: (But you’re not gay) Him: (True, but our struggle is their struggle and theirs is ours) Me: (Hmmm. Now I have to rethink everything because this is my brother whom I love challenging my core beliefs). I was persuaded that day. Today, my brother is long dead but I’m still reposting. That’s called CONVICTION.

ON SCAPEGOATING WHITE SAVAGERY

 Those who brought their CHILDREN to lynchings dressed in their Sunday best are not ghouls or monsters or any more racist than white folk are today. They’re just people conditioned to do what white savagery tells them is acceptable. And decades from now, they’ll scapegoat the white folk today who ignore the hashtags, refuse to say fire ALL of the white cops from elsewheres, creating the most incarcerating nation on the planet...EVER! All while continuing their 22nd century conditioned evils without a thought of repenting. It’s like there’s some sort of spell...

When white folk dump, we can’t get Angry about it

I got angry over a white (almost white) person saying that I’m overreacting. Immediately afterwards, I berated myself, thinking that I should’ve held my cool. But just as we laud those black heroes who articulate the pain rather than express it, we condemn ourselves for feeling what is normal to feel.  Part of colonization says that I have no right to be angry and that my anger is naturally perceived as a threat so it’s in my best interest to hold my tongue. This is not normal. We must break the economic, physical, emotional and spiritual consequences to be true human beings. Otherwise we’re just lying to ourselves. “How dare they get angry over our oppression of them!”