Rod and Karen respond to listener feedback.
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P.S. My goal on the committee is to get them to hire at least one black partner at the firm. How a firm in LA have over 100 attorneys and not one black partner?!?
Hi, about telling white people to shut the fuck up, whew, I wish I could do just that. They are exhausting and annoying. BUT, turns out I have a super power: For some reason, I can tell white people some hard truth, and they do not lose their minds and will actually listen to me. It’s crazy to me too. Maybe it’s because I grew up with them and speak their language. Anyway, this is a burden, but I also feel because of my faith that God has put me in these spaces to do good with this skill. I have gotten them to vote a certain way — not in the general election, but here in LA we had four measures that directly impacted mass incarceration and policing — and I was able to break it down for them. Again, exhausting but the end game was to get these propositions passed (they did!) and someone had to connect the dots for them, so it was me. It is annoying to have to watch my tone, but I do because my best friend, who is white, was honest with me and said “When you come at me like that it makes me scared to fuck up and say something wrong or ask you a question.” Fair. I do watch my tone — it’s not that I don’t say the truth, but use a more pragmatic and reasonable tone. Anyway, she as since become more interested in these issues and even gone to to her Beverly Hills realty group and asked why there aren’t more black people represented. At my own white fancy pants law firm, it was me who had to ask aren’t we gonna say something about these Asian American hate crimes and got them to issue a press release. Again, end game. (Now I’m on the Diversity Committee — yikes,) So while it’s annoying, I do believe I am in these spaces for a reason. I wish my super power was flying or time travel, but oh well. just call me the White Person Whisperer. Ha.
Hey Rod and Karen,
Just to follow up about my commenet about my job’s “racial reckoning” conversation. It was the administration’s request to have white and non-poc of colors to not speak during the open forum as we told our stories, but to only listen with open hearts. There was a moderator and some guided questions. It wasn’t a free for all. LOL. It was also the first step in a longer process. In true library fashion, committees were formed and a plan of action was developed with all staff members invited to participate.
I believe the purpose of having my white co-workers just listen during those discussions was to prevent jumping into the “I’m so sorry, I’m feel guilty, what can I do” portion without fully digesting or sitting with the anger, pain, sadness, and isolation Black and PoC employees were feeling because of George Floyd and the BLM uprisings. Also the pain and harrassment our Asian staff was enduring at the library prior to our pandemic closure. I’m sorry I didn’t make that clear.
I do agree, as much as I (or many Blacks) may just want to tell white people to shut the fuck up, I realize that is not the way to fix things. Does it make me laugh when Jane Elliott makes white people cry? Um, yeah, sorta. Do I think it will solve the problem? No. Social Media has made it very easy to “shout at” people you disagree with and mute them when you don’t want to have a discussion. I am curious how this will change human discourse in the future being that I was apart of both the analog and digital age.
Finally, finally, lol, I think white people who truly want to be “anti-racists” or understand the plight of PoC, they need to hear it from a white person as it will make them less defensive.