Rise up. Educate. Fight back. Act.

A social justice advocate trying to spread a little more awareness and knowledge :) Its time for a revolution.

[the-real-eye-to-see]

You can paint it in any color, but it’s unlikely that anything will change.

[snommelp]

So, I’ve been pulled over a few times in my life. Not many, but a few. And I’ve also been in a couple of cars that got pulled over. And let me tell you, if you were actually doing something wrong, the officer doesn’t make any small talk, just straight into “I clocked you doing 70 in a 55.” The only time I’ve ever gotten the “do you know why I pulled you over?” was the time when I wasn’t doing anything wrong, and I got let go even though he insisted to the end that I was doing 87 in a 70 (white privilege at work).

“Do you know why I pulled you over?” is a trap. It means there’s a good chance the officer doesn’t actually have a good reason to ticket you, and is trying to get you to waive your 5th Amendment rights and incriminate yourself. If you make a guess, that’s a confession of guilt.

But there’s another trap, that I’ve heard of but haven’t yet experienced. It’s “do you know how fast you were going?” With that one, they’re hoping you’ll say no, because then they can name whatever speed they want – you just said you didn’t know how fast you were going, if you deny the speed they name then you’re lying to them.

[themightytej]

Oh, I’ve had that one. Go with “yes.” Don’t give them a number, just say “Yes.” Then they still have to offer a number and you can deny it without contradicting yourself. They could just ask you, at that point, but that’s suspiciously similar to saying they don’t know, and they tend to avoid doing that.

[fattyatomicmutant-deactivated20]

Reblog to save a life

[acupofprivilege-blog]

International Womens Day

Happy International Womens Day! Today as we are celebrating the many important women in our lives, I urge you to check yo self and make sure your feminism is intersectional and accounting for ALL women. Intersectionality has actually played a huge role in modern feminism since its introduction into feminist theory in 1989 by Kimberlé Crenshaw.  An intersectional approach to feminism examines the way different forms of oppression—you guessed it—intersect. Race, class, gender, ability… We all have many different identities, and they converge to form very different experiences! Living in  ‘merica though, its easy to fall and practice what is called, “white feminism” which is a set of beliefs that allows for the exclusion of issues concerning women of color. It kinda only addresses the problems that middle class white women face and not every single other women. But the thing is, without an intersectional lens, out feminist movement can’t really be anti-oppressive bc its not possible to ignore the different oppressions that people are experiencing. Basically, racism for women of color cannot be separated from their gendered oppression. A trans person with a disability can’t chose which PART OF THEIR IDENTITY is most in need of liberation. Its pretty simple actually. My point is, this International Womens Day and basically every day, try not to fall into a one-size-fits all version of feminism because its a movement that focuses only on the common ground between women which is actually erasing rather than inclusive. The journey toward intersectionality is difficult. You will make mistakes; we all will. But if we want to realize relationships, communities, or societies built upon justice, we have to keep doing that work. So be happy and respectful and inclusive of all women and have an amazing International Womens day :) 

[acupofprivilege-blog]

Unlearning problematic things takes time. So much is ingrained in us that we’re completely unaware of. Personal growth is a lengthy process that doesn’t have a defined end date. You’re not going to wake up and be “perfectly conscious” and never screw up. Every day you have to work at your consciousness. So try not to be so hard on yourself. When someone calls you out, try to remember that it’s ultimately for your benefit. Even though the experience can be embarrassing and painful. That person believes you can do better and you can. It’s not easy by a long shot, but it’s worth it.

[acupofprivilege-blog]

I'm asking you to believe. Not in my ability to bring about change, but in yours.

President Obama January 11, 2017

Its time for a revolution. 

[kingrudegyalchina]

Wait .. So Harlem is no longer black ?!!

Harlem is white now ?!!!!

[blkqueer]

yep.

last time i was in spanish harlem i saw a sign that said SpaHa and i was ouuut 

[kingrudegyalchina]

Omfg

[homefixin2shavemister]

Harlem native here👋👋👋👋.Harlem is gone.They call it “Soha” or “The Upper Upper West side”. Ever since Columbia university was granted there expansion black and brown people have been uprooted from their community. This has been going on for like 15 years.Brooklyn is white too.I hope the residents of East NY fight like hell against that rezoning plan.

[kingrudegyalchina]

This is disgusting .

[iamncgalactic]

SpaHa? Gross. I bet they’re coming for the Bronx next 😪

[sleep-less-i-n-s-o-m-n-i-a-c]

Gentrification is so real… 

[wildlyunlikelybabe]

Its not something I thought I would ever see up close…. They have a habit of going after not only historically black towns but towns and neighborhoods important to our growth as a people si they can change it and make it something different acting like we were never there…

[lorenjunior]

Terrible

[weareblackroyalty-blog]

Yep now white people feel comfortable enough to go jogging up and down the block while apartments are getting boarded up and torn down.

[blacksurfrebel]

Cultural & historical erasure is part of white culture.

[alwaysbewoke]

what i see them doing to harlem… what i see them ALLOWED to do to harlem fucking break my heart. it only proves that black people will never truly know peace as long as white people have access to us and our shit. theft and erasure is a part of white culture. 

[thetruthspeakslife]

@tempistsky reminded me of last night

[thatpaintnegra]

Yeah, thats my hometown. Harlem is so white now and gentrified. I went on a rant about it a couple weeks ago. They have Harlem festivals that are suppose celebrate the Harlem people and culture, but the festivals are full of white people and white families. People always talk great about Harlem and its historic culture, but all that is gone and dead; Harlem is gentrified and whitewashed. The culture is gone, the native people can barely afford to still live there. Its no longer Black.

[lennybaby2]

This is so fucking depressing. Spent my childhood summers there. Harlem is such a significant part of our history and culture. This is just…ugh. Why???

[smokeymcbandit]

Colonisers, they just can’t stop themselves.

[lennybaby2]

It’s parasitic behavior. Literally.

[coco-corrine]

Literally watching this happen right now on the Southside of Chicago and it hurts my soul

[lennybaby2]

It’s so fucked up. They relegate the poor among us to these areas, and then wait til we make something of it before they push us out and take it for themselves. Harlem ISN’T Harlem without black people so they need to find a name.

[piccolina-mina]

Jeebus I knew Brooklyn but Harlem too?

[ashchalei]

This is happening in Detroit right now…

[kingrudegyalchina]

Flint especially that’s why they are poisoning the water a and not collecting the trash .

Miami as well

wynwood used to be called Over town . It was a black neighborhood before it got gentrified .

[theoriginalblackbarbie]

Wow

[habibi243]

I was watching the show called the unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt oh whatever it’s called and it’s either too they were talking about gratification and it did not really have an effect on me or I didn’t care that much about it because I live in Maryland so I didn’t care for one of the characters storyline about gratification and now that I actually see that it’s happening it shocks me. I apologize for whatever is going down in New York and the gratification transformation thing and I hope you guys are safe and please be safe.

[taylorlouise]

I live in MD too and the same thing is happening in DC. They’re evicting black families, improving the housing, and moving white people in.

[kingrudegyalchina]

Loot black cities on a government level then kick them out when you want to fix it up . Drop prices and sell to other companies that work with the city .

My neighborhood is being gentrified too . Some white dude in a Prius ……….

A fucking Prius stopped to talk to me about my dog lol. I have a house though so I’m not fucking moving . Can’t say much about the families in apartments near by .

Just the other day some apartments were set on fire.

[reign-sl]

Wow

[barricade-bruises]

There was an article about the “new face of the Bronx”…. White family

[thekiesha]

All POC could literally leave Earth and go to Pluto or some shit And colonists would STILL try to come up there and gentrify It’s like you have the WHOLE earth, allow us our sliver of space

[deathstardream]

I didn’t realize they were doing it in Detroit.😷😷💔

[solarpunk-chicanx]

Yeah, I read an article a few months back about how some old ass white mega millionaire has turned to Detroit for the “next big thing”. I lived there when I was little n I’ve always wanted to go back, but not now if Ima be surrounded by white people, like that doesn’t even make sense. My elementary school doesn’t even exist anymore. 

But talking abt Pluto made me think of this video one of my favorite professors showed us in class. It’s afrofuturism from like the 80s abt a bunch of aliens coming to Earth to solve our problems if the white people sell them black people. Black people end up tryna start a campaign where they pretend to know it’s gonna be a paradise for them so they can trick white people into not going thru w/ the sale out of jealousy of letting black people have anything nice n good. 

<iframe width=“560” height=“315” src=“https://www.youtube.com/embed/y6-n9axdiOs” frameborder=“0” allowfullscreen></iframe>

[kingrudegyalchina]

This is why us moving our money is so important we are literally investing in our own destruction

http://blackoutcoalition.org/black-u-s-banks/

[lovinglykiki]

This is slowly starting to happen in South Central LA. Thankfully, whenever these new apartment building go up, no one but black and Latino families have moved in.

And I’m honestly not surprised it’s happening in this general area. My great great grandmother has owned a house there for the last 26 years and she’s a two minute drive away from USC, so I knew it’s bound to happen eventually. It’s really the saddest things to see 😔

[bilt2tumble]

Colonialism never ended. It just EVOLVED and Manhattan? Is DONE. That City has been a center of the Eclectic Wealthy (Read: White) since Central Park was designated a Green area (Late 1850’s). Then their more ‘bohemian’ children needed a place to Be so they started out slow with SOHO. And that was good enough until the late ‘70’s. When the Kids started getting tired of riding the Long Island Rail Road, Conn Rail, and NJ Transit into the ‘Cultural Center’ of NY or Graduated from NYU & didn’t wanna leave. Started pushing out the gay community and taking over The West Village. Then moved on the Squatters & Semi-homeless living in the practically abandoned ruins of Alphabet City on the (Avenue’s A - D on the Lower East Side). Hells Kitchen? The Bowery? HA! You funny!! Half of that’s ALREADY gone. The other half is under Development.

Little Italy? hasn’t been a center for the Money Generating Mafia since after WWII, (They moved to Staten Island & Queens, before settling in NJ) and was abandoned to the Chinese. China Town expanded for a bit, but then started moving everything that MATTERS into Flushing. The Tongs (ALWAYS having had one foot on either side of the legal/illegal line) could see the writing on the wall. They’ve been able to hold onto the Tourist Trap aspects of China Town; Manhattan but, trust, all the REAL business is going down in Flushing.

The Business/Wall St. Area? Used to work there. Remember working swing-shift, DRIVING into work, and being able to practically park in the sidewalk for HOURS because the Financial District was absolutely deserted after 7pm on week days. Eerily deserted. No people, EVERYTHING closed&shuttered for the night, not even cops writing parking tickets. Just Mutant Rats & Evolution Accelerated Cockroaches fighting over the garbage piles waiting to be picked-up on the curbs. Flipped me, THE FUCK, out seeing Baby Carriage/Stroller Moms competing for space on the over capacity sidewalks during lunch hour when I eventually went back to working days (Before and AFTER 9/11). Couldn’t figure out what they where DOING down there. Then I realized; They, fucking, LIVE HERE. Of course. Daddy/Mommy wants a 10 minute WALKING commute to their corner office @ Shearson-Lehman or Goldman-Sachs rather than a 1-2 hour daily commute on a sardine packed LIRR train from Sands Point. Of COURSE.

Brooklyn? Was inevitable. But I thought, at least, Harlem could hold out just a little longer. Guess not. And, from what I understand, even the handful of Low Income Tenement Projects built & filled during the ‘50’s are now under assault from Developers who can see nothing but Manhattan Real Estate prices in-route to an orbit around Mars. They want they’re cut. And will get it by any means necessary.

I mean, if anybody has questions about Institutional Racism? Confused about how the definition of racism is ACTUALLY Discrimination+POWER and why that can’t be found in any dictionary? Wondering how Trump’s blatantly racist, redlining, Deny-any-black family-that-even-THINKS-about-moving-into-one-of-MY-New-Developments, Daddy made the pile of money his son is currently mismanaging?

Take a minute to wade through the History of Real Estate in NY’s 5 Boroughs. SHOULD clear up a LOT of shit.

[armanisade]

This shit is happening in LA too. Especially now that the Rams are moving to Inglewood, black people can no longer afford to live over here. They are raising some people’s rent from like $1300 to $1800

[reverseracism]

Here in Minnesota its happening majorly in North Minneapolis.. It’s slow but my mom and my ex are real estate agents and they’re saying that the city of Minneapolis is BEGGING the buyers of Minneapolis land/homes to keep it historical and not do too much. They’re begging for them to buy or rent like to buy and help the community in a sense of longevity. I’ve sat in at one of these meeting house shopping with my ex, they’re trying their hardest… but houses are getting knocked down and rebuild and Whole Foods are replacing cheaper markets so people have to go farther for groceries. Starbucks (which I love I won’t lie) every corner taking out mom and pops. White millennial moving in so swiftly and calling the police about anything that startles them… which is everything

[acupofprivilege-blog]

This is literally history repeating itself. Like  “Manifest Destiny” was the belief that white colonizers and pioneers were called upon the Divine to expand across the nation, building the New World and “civilizing” the original inhabitants of the land.

This was progress at any and all costs – including ethnic cleansing and violent takeover of indigenous land across the Americas. Land once populated by native tribes was reduced to next-to-nothing in the quest to expand.

No, modern-day gentrification and European colonization are not literally one and the same. To be clear, there are no horrors that can directly compare to the genocide, ethnic cleansing, and attempted cultural eradication experienced by Native peoples.

But because the US was founded upon principles of violence, greed, and forced land ownership, similar strategies and practices have new faces and consequences today:

the forceful and violent evictions of families who have lived in their homes for decades

the rapid closing of POC-owned businesses in major cities

increased police presence and brutality in efforts to make neighborhoods “safer” for those who are taking it over

the rapid expansion of condominiums and apartments that only newcomers can afford

What appears to outsiders as “progress” is actually harming the people and rich cultures that once existed before.

For example, there is a recycling center in West Oakland where dozens of homeless and poor folks bring bottles and cardboard for cash – sometimes their only source of income.

And because mostly newer residents have complained about the noise the center causes, it is closing – cutting jobs that folks have depended upon, and removing an important source of income for hundreds of others.

Houses and condos on this same block are going for upwards of a million dollars in a neighborhood that historically has a median family income of $35,000.

[acupofprivilege-blog]

Ready for the womens march!!

[acupofprivilege-blog]

It’s a shame how the tragedy at OSU is gonna inflict more islamophobia instead of trying to tackle a major violence issue in america

[archatlas]

This Is What Life Inside the Standing  Rock Camp Looks Like Right Now

An excerpt from a photo essay, published on The Nation, from Standing Rock, where indigenous activists pray and prepare for winter, even as police brutality mounts by Jake Ratner:

Coming over the hill on Highway 1806 in late October, the sprawling Standing Rock encampment surged into view. Tipis, tents, and a geodesic dome dotted the valley below. Nestled along the Cannon Ball and Missouri Rivers in remote North Dakota, the Oceti Sakowin camp had recently grown to over 7,000 people.

Those camped there have led a months-long effort to resist the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. The 1,170-mile pipeline is slated to transport crude oil from the Bakken shale fields of North Dakota, through Standing Rock Sioux treaty land, under the Missouri River, and on to Illinois. The Standing Rock “water protectors,” however, fear that the pipeline will poison the river and with it, the water supply not only for the Standing Rock Sioux but the millions of others who live downstream. And so they pray and march and refuse to move. So far, their efforts have managed to halt the pipeline’s advance at the west bank of the Missouri pending a final permit from the Army Corps of Engineers.

This period of relative tranquility, however, was broken this past Sunday as police from the Morton County Sheriff’s Department confronted some 400 water protectors on Backwater Bridge just north of camp. According to a report from Dallas Goldtooth, an organizer with the Indigenous Environmental Network, the protectors were attempting peacefully to move a burned-out truck off the bridge and clear access to the public roadway when police trapped them on the bridge and opened fire with tear gas, rubber bullets, mace canisters, and concussion grenades. 

While this level of brutality and violence against peaceful demonstrators is clearly extreme, it was not the first time the water protectors have been met by blunt force and intimidation. Nor is it likely to be the last. Native peoples in this country have faced every tool the U.S government has to displace, dispossess, and destroy them for more than 500 years.

Yet as the winter comes, the water protectors are not giving up. Their movement is part of a long history of struggle. And regardless of what brutal force it faces, it isn’t going away.

Via

See more ARCHy here.

[witchtips]

How You Can Help The #NODAPL Protesters and Water Protectors

If you live in American, you’ve likely heard of the ongoing struggle taking place at the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota. There, hundreds of protestors are standing their ground against both Dakota Access LLC (Energy Transfer Partners) and the militaristic police presence. The police force in this area has ordered and deployed vicious assaults against the peaceful protestors in the form of attack dogs, rubber bullets, tear gas, and more.

What Is The Dakota Access Pipeline?

The Dakota Access Pipeline is a proposed crude oil pipeline that has been approved by The US Army Corps of Engineers in July 2016. The pipeline would run underground from North Dakota to Illinois by way of South Dakota and Iowa. (x)

Why Is DAPL Bad?

The Dakota Access Pipeline is opposed because of several reasons. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe stated in their filed complaint in federal court that “the construction and operation of the pipeline…threatens the Tribe’s environment and economic well-being, and would damage and destroy sites of great historic, religious, and cultural significance to the Tribe.” (x) The construction of DAPL would disturb the environment and very possibly contaminate the natural water sources that the locals rely on. In addition, many feel that resources would be better spent investing in alternative energy sources.

What Can We Do To Help Right Now?

Even if you are not able to travel to Standing Rock to join the protesters, there are many ways to contribute to their cause and to their protection and well being.

Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is

Purchase From The Sacred Stone Camp Amazon Wishlist

Donate to The Sacred Stone Camp GoFundMe

Donate to The Sacred Stone Camp Legal Fund

Donate To The Sacred Stone Camp PayPal

Purchase From The Standing Rock Medic & Healer Council Amazon Wishlist

Donate To Standing Rock Medic & Healer Council Directly and/or Purchase From Their Current List of Needs

Donate to Oceti Sakowin PayPal

Donate to Sophia Wilansky’s GoFundMe, she was severely injured by police at Standing Rock and will require many surgeries.

Donate by Mail to: Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Attention: Donations, P.O. Box D, Building #1, North Standing Rock Ave., Fort Yates, ND 58538.

Send supplies by mail through Greenpeace

Donate supplies to your local Greenpeace office: Costa Mesa CA, Denver CO, Los Angeles CA, New York City NY, Oakland CA, Portland OR, San Diego CA, San Jose CA, St. Petersburg FL, Washington DC (x)

Voice Your Opposition For DAPL and Support For The Sioux Tribe

Call North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple: 701-328-2200

Call The White House: 202-456-1111. Ask President Obama to rescind the DAPL permit.

Call Lee Hanse, executive vice president of Energy Transfer Partners: 210-403-6455

Call Glenn Emery, vice president Energy Transfer Partners: 210-403-6762

Call Michael (Cliff) Waters, lead analyst Energy Transfer Partners: 713-989-2404

Call Army Corps of Engineers: 202-761-5903

Call the Morton County Sheriff’s Office and voice your opposition to the violence ordered by Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier 701-667-3330

Volunteer

If you have legal or media skills that you wish to donate email [email protected] or call 701-301-2238 (x)

If you have medical skills and training and/or are a EMT, Medic, Nurse, Physician, Herbalist, Midwife, or Massage Therapist and want to help on the front lines fill out this application.

[acupofprivilege-blog]

Safe Spaces

University of chicago was my top choice for a while now. It is a prestigious, elite institution that fosters critical thinking. But recently in a letter to the class of 2020, the University declared that it will not support “safe-spaces” or act on “trigger-warnings”. Words cannot even begin to describe my frustration. To say the campus does not promote safe spaces and trigger warnings isn’t saying that it does not comfort students–it is saying that the only students they cater to are the privileged–those who have not felt the pain of racism, sexism, religious prejudice, etc., those who have not been sexually assaulted, those who have not dealt with traumatic experiences. By saying there are no safe spaces here is saying that people of color, women, LGBTQIA+ community, anyone who has been through traumatic experiences,will never feel fully safe or comfortable here. 

Mental illness is not a fucking joke. This is not just about a room of play-doh and coloring. This is about the safety of students who have felt any kind of oppression, prejudice or trauma.

Trigger warnings offer sensitivity to the varied experiences of diverse groups so that more people can debate on equal footing in challenging conversations. Providing a trigger warning for content relating to sexual assault (when 25% of women are sexually assaulted on campuses) isn’t “coddling”, it’s necessary to ensure that people who have trauma around these issues can participate more equally.

[acupofprivilege-blog]

UChicago

The reason I am posting this is because no one else is. No one else is talking about this and it is really reallyyyyy important. The reason no one is talking about this is because our society was raised with a stigma around mental illness. What our society doesn’t realize is that mental illness is not a joke.Words cannot even begin to describe my frustration. To say the campus does not promote safe spaces and trigger warnings isn’t saying that it does not comfort students–it is saying that the only students they cater to are the privileged–those who have not felt the pain of racism, sexism, religious prejudice, etc., those who have not been sexually assaulted, those who have not dealt with traumatic experiences. This is not just about a room of play-doh and coloring. This is about the SAFETY of students who have felt any kind of oppression, prejudice or trauma.

Trigger warnings offer sensitivity to the varied experiences of diverse groups so that more people can debate on equal footing in challenging conversations. Providing a trigger warning for content relating to sexual assault (when 25% of women are sexually assaulted on campuses) isn’t “coddling”, it’s necessary to ensure that people who have trauma around these issues can participate more equally. The problem is that our society has a HUGE stigma against mental illness. Because if someone breaks their arm, they get time and help and support for healing but if someone is emotionally broken, they are told to face it. Just like it’s normal for the body to need healing after physical violence, it’s perfectly normal for someone’s mind to need healing after a traumatic event.That’s why a diagnosis like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) exists – not because something’s “wrong” with someone who’s struggling after trauma, but because it’s natural for trauma to have an impact on one’s mental health.

But we don’t seem to understand that as a society. People like that dean and all of his supporters think that accommodations for traumatized students are unnecessary, and even wrong. I have personally experiences assault and stories of assault don’t really impact me but people disregarding mental illness and assault does. I need a warning and I sure as hell don’t blame other survivors for needing a warning. The biggest reason that no one is talking about Uchicago and how extremely fucked up the situation is, is because mental illness is viewed as a weakness and UChicago is trying to take the so called “high road” by saying they are all about making strong individuals. I call bs. When a football player is given a helmet and padding by the school before games, the school isnt called out for “coddling”. But when a survivor wants to protect their mental health by getting a warning before they face a difficult topic, people frequently use the word “coddling” to refer to their needs.

The idea that survivors who need trigger warnings “can’t handle the real world” is a common accusation. People say that we’ve all been through hard things, but the rest of the world is unfazed. It’s pretty sad that we can acknowledge that there’s so much suffering in the world, but get angry at people who have the nerve to cope with that suffering in a way that others can see. Nobody should have to suffer through the impact of trauma without support to heal – and the fact that it’s the norm for people to feel like they just have to “suck it up and get over it” does not make it okay. It’s okay to ask for what you need. But if you don’t personally take that route, don’t  shame others for doing so.

For those of you who dont know, a trigger warning or a content warning is a very simple statement at the beginning of an article, film, or comic that lets the audience know that something potentially distressing will appear in the content they’re about to consume. Some pretty common ones include sexual assault, alcohol consumption, or violence. If someone has trauma around one of these areas, and could find themselves triggered by the material, it allows them to opt out or brace themselves before they have a traumatic reaction to it. For example I had a friend who was a suicide survivor. She dealt with PTSD years after her experience and thus she avoided articles, media, presentations detailing suicide for a while because anything that included suicide would cause a panic attack and flashbacks, and it was very harmful for her mental health and recovery. Life is already difficult for survivors, so why make it harder? You don’t need to tell a survivor that “the real world” is hard, because they already know that. They’re already living in it, trying to survive and trying to heal. And your refusal to include content warnings takes already difficult circumstances and makes them even harder. What’s the problem with making writing, film, and (yes) classrooms more accessible for people with trauma? Even if the rest of the world is going to be a challenge, why add an additional struggle onto their plate? Yes, the real world sucks. Survivors know that better than anyone. So we should work hard to make safe spaces wherever it’s possible to do so – especially when it’s as easy as adding a content warning.

As my dear friend  said, “If I am going to pay a quarter of a million dollars for college, they better keep me safe” :) im out.

[lesbiann-cutiess]

This broke my heart and made me cry 💔

[communicants]

[acupofprivilege-blog]

Reverse Oppression

I have a lot of white friends who feel that social justice warriors and activists (such as yours truly), direct their movement on and against white people and those who dont face oppression. Even among those who are “socially conscious” - the argument pops up now and then.

And we- seasoned veterns in the war against anti-oppression- know the battle has already been lost

But can we really blame those who claim that "female privilege", "reverse racism" or "cisphobia" are forms of oppression as well? I mean I don't think they willfully ignorant, I just think they are mistaken. We've all had internalized oppressive ideas and values.

Now lets tackle to dispell these ideas, starting with reverse racism because that is by far, the most common misconception. One of my friends claims that social justice warriors are racist against white people because all our work is designed to not benefit the average white person.

Some people simplify racism as one group not liking another, and think “racist” and “prejudiced” are interchangeable. But racism is a concept that operates on both an individual and institutional level. At its core, racism is a system in which a dominant race benefits off the oppression of others — whether they want to or not. We don’t live in a society where every racial group has equal power, status, and opportunity. Yes, white people all over the world and throughout history have experienced atrocities like slavery and persecution. But in the very specific context of American history, white people have not been enslaved, colonized, or forced to segregate on the scale that black people have. They do not face housing or job discrimination, police brutality, poverty, or incarceration at the level that black people do.This is not to say that they do not experience things like poverty and police brutality at all. But again, not on the same scale — not even close.That is the reality of racism. Its heirarchical. Dominant or privileged groups benefit, often in unconscious ways, from the disempowerment of subordinated or targeted groups. A common argument made by white folk that has absolutely no merit is affirmative action. They argue that affirmative action is a prime example of reverse racism because it privileges PoC and disadvantages whites. They believe deserving white students are discriminated against while academically unqualified students are given highly coveted college or company positions ― just because they happen to tick the “ethnic minority” box. This argument ignores the fact that affirmative action did not come out of nowhere ― there was a need for a system that would address the decades of underrepresentation of people of color both academically and in the job world. Also, purely factually speaking even now, white college students are 40% more likely to get private scholarships than mminorities. And although 62% of college students in America are white, they recieve 69% of all private scholarships!!!! whattttttttttttt Heres a fun video of a comedian explaining exactly what would have to happen in order for racism against white people to exist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dw_mRaIHb-M

[bidoctor]

[isitscary]

[thisiseverydayracism]

Thank you white people for bringing fascism to the United States.