so, i really love talking about race, and deconstructing white psychology, stereotypes, myths, and straight up ignorance on various fronts. i think it's interesting how talking about race makes people feel super uncomfortable, but watching people's progression from discomfort to somewhat clarity from hearing a different perspective is why it's important to challenge each other.
i don't always get to discuss things from an anti-racist perspective without getting called everything under the sun. even today while volunteering at a training at one of nyc's whitest, most expensive, most prestigious universities, i had an encounter with someone who was made uncomfortable by something i said. the floor we occupied was decorated with oil paintings of former board of trustee presidents. when i joked about the intensity in the stare in one portrait, this is the conversation that ensued:
girl: yea, it's totally creepy that the one guy in that painting over there is staring directly at us
me: haha. it kind of makes me uncomfortable..
girl: (laughing) it's really bizarre that they're all old men and really rich looking
me: ...and white
girl: (shocked and clears throat uncomfortably)
her reaction intrigued me. it wasn't something i said to start trouble, it was me wondering aloud something i assumed was very obvious. but instead of acknowledging that one very obvious fact about the former presidents (and interestingly enough, the racial break down of that university), she reacted as though i had said something so perverse, offensive, and taboo. this is why i've started this component of my blog: i want break down and analyze these reactions as they occur, as well as more drawn out responses to inquiries regarding race...and class, gender, heteronormativity, etc in my personal life and in the media. i'm also learning and stumbling as i go along, so sometimes i'm going to straight up fail with my observations, so just bear with me and "let's talk about race, baby"!
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