Black Solidarity in Alt Scenes

A blog specifically for Black people in alternative scenes, with a focus on Goth/industrial. Also of note: run by a Black woman involved in the G/I scene

[blackscenesolidarity]

I’ve all but abandoned this page since I’ve quit music actively. It’s not often when people in the scene learn from their fuck ups…and one actually did. Andy LaPlegua has actually learned. I honestly meant to update this some time ago..but like I said; left being active. Doesn’t matter why…just it was time.

But I at least wanted to mention that.

[fiction-is-not-reality]

How to Backup your Tumblr

I was just semi-complaining that I was still looking for a decent way to backup my +6k posts without having to use paid services or even just wordpress (which has an import from tumblr tool that asks for permission to access your blog and also make posts), when I decided to actually put some effort into my google search. 

Results were positive: I have successfully backed up my blog* 

*By which I mean: everything that I have ever posted.  Not included: drafts, queue, likes, followers, following, comments, notes, chat. 

I followed this method (word by word), and now have a 450 MB folder on my computer with the name of my blog on it containing: 

1. Folder “Archive” (contains .html files listed by month) 2. Folder “Media” (contains gifs and images, mine has +1k files in it; might contain also audios but I have no way of confirming that because I’ve never reblogged an audio post from this blog) 3. Folder “Posts” (contains single .html files, each one a post; I have +4k files in it) 4. Folder “Theme” (contains only my avatar, but it might be a matter of if you have personalized themes or not) 5. .html file “Index” (by opening it it will give you the archive of your blog organized by month; clicking on a month will open up the archive for that month, and you’ll be able to read all the posts for that month as if you were on your blog**, except sans your theme graphic, with each page containing 50 posts)

**I can see gifs, links, embedded videos, tags, number of notes (but I can’t open up the notes, clearly), text is also correctly formatted. 

So yeah, in case anyone wants a very quick way to back up their blog, it took me less than 10 minutes. 

P.S. I didn’t have any issue, but to be on the safe side always check for spyware and virus threats before and after downloading anything. 

[4367345g34]

this is actually really useful if you have an art blog full of years of work that you otherwise no longer have access to the original files. A lot of the art I have in the early days of my art blog are in that boat. I did this process JUST for that reason and I was pretty astonished at just how many pieces of media it backs up! (literally all of it) Drawings I didn’t even realize were sitting in my archive due to having been posted to text posts or undercuts, or untagged for years! It’s worth it if just for that, even if tumblr isn’t shutting down or deleting your blog.

[calellon]

tumblr.com

[arkadykoshka]

From someone who’s survived MySpace, livejournal, deviantart, and fanfiction.nets’ content purges and bad policy updates, here’s some advice on how to get through tumblr’s recent bullshit:

- don’t knee jerk delete. I know it’s tempting to peace out immediately but hang on and do the other steps first. Out right ghosting and erasing everything is how fandoms die.

- archive everything on your blog you want to keep

- tell your followers how they can archive and keep your work too. A lot of fic and art were only saved from ff.net and lj because other people saved it first. If you’re cool with other people saving your work for them to personally keep, let them know this. You can absolutely discourage reposting but I really do highly recommend you allow people to personally save fic and art they like and are worried will disappear forever. Digital Dark Ages are a real thing.

- tell people where you’re jumping ship to. Give links. Keep that info up, even if you’ve left the site.

- go through who you follow and find out where else you can follow them. Save their work if they’ll allow it. It’s tedious as hell but if you want to keep up with people on here clicking on their page to check in is the best way to do it.

- support places like ao3. This is exactly why ao3 asks for donations a few times a year. They are a 100% anti-purging, judgement free, ad free non profit run by an elected board and protected by lawyers. Places like ao3 literally save fandom so please continue to support them and other similar archives. This is exactly why ao3 is so important.

[suzirya]

For example, here’s a post that explains and links for how to back up your blog

Also, go read the source policies and official Tumblr statements in addition to user analyses and reactions. It’s important to keep abreast of developments over time; staying informed is your power in this situation. Memes and reaction posts are funny and are a useful way to vent / provide commentary, but some of them create an inaccurate picture of what’s happening and should not be taken as evidence on their own of what developments have happened.

[blackscenesolidarity]

Missing stairs, Nazi empathizers and industrial.

I would really like to be able to post good news in this blog some day, but it seems like today is not that day. Andy LaPlegua has expressed kinship and love for a person that is clearly a Nazi sympathizer. The guy in question is wearing a death’s head and a freakin’ Confederate flag. His shop (Hate City Customs) is a mess within itself. The shirts are covered with SS symbols, iron crosses and the like. It’s disappointing to say the least. Combichrist was already at the center of controversy with the Joe Letz blackface debacle, but disappointment rolls around yet again. The fact that I even had to write the word ‘yet again’ is very telling. How many times does it need to be said that we can do better as a scene when anything racist/sexist/homophobic rolls around? Now how many times are we gonna say it and not do anything about it?

There’s too many missing stairs in this scene. And by missing stairs, I mean abusers and creeps that have made themselves such a mainstay, no one really thinks twice about them. “Oh, that’s just so and so. He’s always been a habitual line stepper.” Nine times out of ten, you’ve seen this written online or heard it said out loud. How messed up is that? How messed up is it that we get so used to the fact that there are people that do garbage things and some just let it skate with an ‘oh you,’ a wag of the finger and that’s it? I find that amazing in all the wrong ways. There are people that are speaking out more about this, and for that I am very grateful. Things like this need to be aired out, dealt with and improved upon. If you don’t voice concerns, change cannot occur. I can easily see why some would not speak out loudly when certain things come up. No one likes when anyone decides to ‘rock the boat’, or complicate things. More often than not, it’s usually the ones that stand up that get nailed by the ones defending the crappy behavior. Or, it could be reliant on the fact that the Goth/Industrial scene is relatively small and prioritizing the unity of it should be the main goal. Personally, that last theory doesn’t hold water. If one feels that the slightest bit of critique will bring something like the G/I scene down, which shows there isn’t a lot of faith in the staying power of said scene. There are splits, fracture and the like, but they can be fixed and made stronger.

Just like most objects. You put in enough work to fix it, you make it better. We want the industrial scene to be better because it has the capacity to be as such. But it won’t be if we keep making excuses for the same people who do gross shit and we’re back and square one. It’s like sitting in shit and complaining of the smell with no intention of moving.

Now, for those that know who is writing this, some will probably think “she’s writing this for clout” or some such trash as that. Thankfully, my social currency in this scene is non-existent. I’m writing this shit because as a minority in a niche scene, I want this shit to do better. Any other time when things would go south, I’d bounce since it wouldn’t be worth the effort to help fix what others were unwilling to fix themselves. However, I love this scene. I’ve seen the good it can do and the good it brings out in people. The sense of community here is solid and can only go up from here. A wiser person than I proclaims “We Demand Better.” And we should. Because we know we can do better and should work toward that. It starts by getting rid of all those missing stairs.

[blackscenesolidarity]

Short post, but hopefully meaningful

Hey y'all. Been busy and the like. Life, etc. Anyway, a small point to bring to the table in regards to addressing racism and the other ugly isms withing alternative scenes. (Side note, I hate the fact my phone recognizes the phrase alternative facts.)

Right. I'll come straight to it. If you (meaning the royal you, the white populace you) feel that there's no issues within your chosen subsection of culture, it behooves you to do this thing: ask the marginalized peoples within your group about their experiences. Some might not be outright with it, not wishing to rock the boat. And that's ok. Not everyone is ready to come forth with their experiences without fearing some type of backlash. They'll speak when they want to. And when they do, be there to listen and to help amplify their voice and their concerns.

Listening to people and their struggles means a lot. And that means not cutting across them, asking "was it really racism?" or mess like that. Just hear them out and go from there. Even if you yourself feel everything is fine and dandy, it isn't for everyone. The idea in most subcultures is to make those who feel rejected by the main culture feel welcomed and appreciated. Listening and helping can go a hell of a long way.

That's all. Thanks.

[the-friendly-winter]

“you know your skin is too dark for tattoos right?”

“wow how are you going to get a piercing in your lip or nose?, they’re both so thick”

“Wow I didn’t know black people could dye their hair that color”

“It irritates me when black people try to be punk or goth”

“wow you’re not like a typical black person!”

[blackscenesolidarity]

I'm glad my post has been making the rounds and inspiring more conversation. However I have heard that someone gave another person credit for the writing. Not surprising but no less frustrating. I had to put a description up top to remind people that yes..it is run by a Black woman. No one else. At least not now. I've also been debating putting a donation link since this is a lot of emotional and unpaid labor.

And considering how much work we are expected to do for little to no pay..fuck it. I'll do it.

Cash app: $DArtis

[blackscenesolidarity]

Housekeeping in Industrial

Hoo boy, it has been a day in the scene. I want to try and get this down as soon as I can, because it is a lot and it is messy. A DJ known in the NYC scene that goes by DJ Eisdriver was shown to be an out and proud White Supremacist. I will copy and paste the conversation he had with someone within the scene, but I will remove their name for privacy reasons: 

"There’s nothing wrong with being White and there’s nothing wrong with being a Nationalist so therefore there’s nothing wrong w being a White Nationalist...I fulfill both those requirements and I’m not about to apologize to you for it.

You SJWs are fucking insane and the behavior you’ve shown on this thread is appalling...you have been belligerent and abusive from second one you have called people baseless slurs simply because you don’t have the logic to form an argument. You poke fun at the Constitution which you misunderstand and the Law both elements which govern this situation but you’d rather invest in emotions and not the facts of this case. I’m really going to remember that jag of yours about if an angry mob says it’s racism then it’s racism! Haaaa! Yeah because Mobs are such rational actors!!!

There’s lots more I can set you straight on but the one thing I’ve learned in dealing with your perpetually butthurt kind is that I’d only be wasting my breath and I can’t see the point to keep having circular fruitless arguments with you while you insult my friends so you’re done here. I think its hilarious how much you seemingly forgot about who I am when you thought Id ban ppl on your instruction...just WOW!

You can walk away and tell your similarly thinkskinned friends the [REDACTED]  that you just busted up some alt-right hive of villainy when all that’s really happened here is that I’ve tired of your refusal to listen and your SJW histrionics.

And PLEASE know you read like a fool when you write Y’ALL...you’re a Jewish girl fro NY you’re not fooling anyone."

 So, there’s that. People have stepped up and said there is no room for this type of hatred in a scene that prides themselves on being inclusive. And I applaud that sentiment; I truly do. However, for many that decry it, there are some who are, for lack of a better term, immobile on certain things regarding the scene. In another group, that for the moment shall remain nameless, another white guy thought the backlash against the white supremacist was blown out of proportion. Spoiler: it isn’t. The guy in question was ranting about ‘lefties ruining the industrial scene’. Now, here’s where his argument breaks down. The industrial scene is comprised of people of color and all people within the LGBTQIA+ spectrum with the idea of standing up for what’s right and protecting their own. Which means being expressly against racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, etc. Which again, means being better than the society that treats them as outcasts. Industrial itself is a statement of radical leftism. Just the incarnation of what we know as industrial seemingly no longer embodies that.

Back to dude’s failed and flawed argument: he argues that leftist politics are ruining the scene, and music should be apolitical. Again, that is disingenuous. The personal is political, especially when it can affect you, people you care for, and the world at large. To say it isn’t is being disingenuous about the world at large and believing you to be the exception to the rule. Life doesn’t work that way. Opting out of scene policing because you want to foster the ‘I want to get along with everyone’ ideal is white privilege. Let me try to frame my issue with the scene by an example. Imagine the scene as a house. It’s a nice house, serviceable and comfy. You invite people over and they police themselves, keep it clean and in order. Now one day, you decide to leave the door open for roaches. The door is wide open and they flood in. The folks who frequent the house suddenly notice and ask why you have roaches in the house. And you respond, “why do you want to kick them out? They’ve always been cool to me! You’re just being divisive!”

You can’t act surprised about a dirty house when you’re letting disruptors in. Just because someone was cool to you and you feel that their politics shouldn’t figure in to things is aiding and abetting your idea for a dirty ass house. Again, likening the scene to a house, you’d want the house to grow, expand and flourish, right?

You can’t have folks over if you’re not willing to clean your dirty ass house. You can’t bemoan scene death if you willingly court misogynists, racists, homophobes, transphobes and the like. People that want to come in won’t because they won’t feel safe. And I don’t blame them. There are definitely people interested and want to get in, but you have to make it clear that you welcome them. You can’t have your arms outstretched to embrace them while you’re holding on to someone who has detrimental ideas.

I’d like to thank my friend Aedra for reviewing this with me, talking it over and helping me to refine points.

[blackscenesolidarity]

A few things here..

So, first off, an apology. I don’t want to make it seem like I’m ignoring this page outright, but life is not great at respecting plans. You know, man plans and life laughs and gets ready to boot your ass into oncoming traffic. 

Anyway, this is a quick heads up to let you know that there’s an incoming post because, boy howdy...a lot of ridic stuff happened in the industrial scene today that needs to be unpacked. So if you get a long ass post? That’s what it is. 

Thanks!

[blackscenesolidarity]

Quick post here, but I wanted to thank the new people who started following this. Please share whenever possible. The scene (Goth/industrial) is making small steps oust problematic people, but there is still a LONG way to go. I don't want the fight for recognition to become the "outrage of the week" and fall by the wayside. Thanks again.

[blackscenesolidarity]

Stop messing around with R. Kelly

(I know this is a scene specific blog, but there is an overarching message of getting problematic people out the paint.) Okay, y’all. This doesn’t go for everyone, but there are some people have to have a “Come to Jesus” moment about R. Kelly. There was a Buzzfeed article that came out detailing what he has been up to as of late. Unfortunately it wasn’t fading into obscurity. We would have been just so lucky. The article was about him pretty much forming a cult of young women to pretty much..er..’service’ him. And here is the other thing I find galling. The parents that offered  up the young women to him in hopes of catapulting their singing career suddenly seem shocked and horrified that their girls aren’t the same after spending time with him. Look; the trial over that famous tape was pretty well known. Even one mother clearly recalled the trial and the tape in general but was cloaked in the idiocy of ‘I thought it would never happen to us’. And then she went on and stated that he made so many hits and didn’t think him possible of the atrocities outlined (made them dress in sweatsuits, cutting off contact with outside world, turning to face the wall when men are present, etc.)     Let’s stop right there. That’s one huge problem right there. When you idolize someone by the music they create and completely disregard their multiple crimes, that’s definite cognitive dissonance. Just because he made a few summertime jams doesn’t mean that he can be the absolute scum of the earth. Because he really and truly is. Also, another point to bring up: the victim blaming. Even with all the things outlined in the article, there are people still willing to carry water for R. Kelly and blame every single young woman ‘for putting themselves in that position’. See, the fact that all the onus is laid on these young women that have and continue to suffer physical and mental horrors are supposed to just decide they had enough and walk out. There are some women that have the mental fortitude to get out, but not everyone. And for the exact reason of people blaming and shaming women in these positions is why kids (especially Black women) grow up to not let anyone know what they’ve suffered in terms of molestation. If a woman does mention that to a friend of the family or a family member about an adult molesting them at a young age, the answer ends up being, “What did you do to them?”   Uhh…you’re blaming a child who has been told to place their trust in adults unconditionally. The onus should always ALWAYS be an adult. The person that should know better. But no, they’re told and shamed as being ‘fast behind girls’, called everything but a child of God, and suffer degradation at the hands of people that the child would trust. So that’s why that trauma is kept inside with no way out. Which of course is unhealthy and will come out in other ways, and then we would be called ‘bitter broken women’. This is why you need to believe women when they said they were assaulted. I slightly drifted away from the initial point, but vestiges of it remain. But to bring it back around, R. Kelly is an abuser, creep and a pederast. People like that do not need to be supported at all. Starve his income and divest your interests. This dude calls himself the Pied Piper. Do you know what the Pied Piper do? Lead mice to their doom. R. Kelly goes after young girls to lead them away and groom them to be sexual objects. How can you still jam to his stuff? And still hold Aaliyah in high regard? Wrong is wrong is wrong. He and others like him don’t deserve a pass for ANYTHING. At all. Stop playing his music, don't go to his concerts.. starve him financially. Better yet, it'd be better if he was put underneath the jail.

[blackscenesolidarity]

Note:

The person I mentioned in my "Colorblindness in Goth/Industrial" post has since apologized and is doing their level best to be a better person. I have it on good authority that the person in question is seeking help. This actually bring me to a good point here. Call out/drag culture is what brought this to the forefront...but when does it go from a useful thing to a mob execution? Only reason I say this is that there were people joining in that could give a damn less about why the call out was going on, but enjoyed the idea of dragging. It's...it's a thorny situation, to be sure. But it does make you think...

[blackscenesolidarity]

Thank you.

Thanks to all that have reblogged, liked and followed this blog. I wanted to do something with this earlier, but the incident I mentioned prior to this entry pushed me further. I would like to continue to encourage PoC to please submit stories to this blog about your experiences. It is my hope that we can have stories here to show others that we in alternative scenes, be it Goth, Industrial, and anything else, that we exist and we are contributors. Next step is hopefully talking to the heavier hitters in the scene to give this a boost. My range is only so big and I guess I am still too much of a nobody for people to notice this. So, thanks again and please spread the word. This blog is only as good as it's contributors; in all senses of the word.

[blackscenesolidarity]

Submissions now open

I wanted to do this when I first opened the site, but with all the stuff going on in the Goth/Industrial scene, this gave me a shove. So any Black person, and even other People of Color. Please share your stories of interaction with the Goth Industrial scene. If you’ve experienced anything overt or even microaggressions. I would like to compile experiences since it feels like we don’t have a say here.

[blackscenesolidarity]

Update: I realize in a scene like this, it is probably not the best to add a name if you don't feel comfortable doing so. For submissions, I can give you a pseudonym if you don't feel like having your name out there. That's fine. Thank you to all that have shared and followed thus far.

[blackscenesolidarity]

Submissions now open

I wanted to do this when I first opened the site, but with all the stuff going on in the Goth/Industrial scene, this gave me a shove. So any Black person, and even other People of Color. Please share your stories of interaction with the Goth Industrial scene. If you've experienced anything overt or even microaggressions. I would like to compile experiences since it feels like we don't have a say here.

[blackscenesolidarity]

Colorblindness in Goth/Industrial

There was an issue in the scene not too long past involving a well known musician painting their face black and their lips pink for shows across the country. It took someone to call out the use of blackface online and it caused a hell of an uproar. A large amount of predominantly White fans felt that the call-out was unnecessary and reeking of ‘SJW’ nature. The furor grew and grew to the point that the person in question issued a lengthy statement of how they believe they are not racist and everything had been blown out of proportion.

This is where it grew from frustrating to ‘bang your head on the nearest unforgiving surface’ frustrating. The insisting that it wasn’t ‘classical’ blackface and it was ‘just art’ and people need to ‘lighten up’ was peppered between words of encouragement for the party. However, there was something else I noticed that irked me. There were quite a few people asking ‘why isn’t there any Black people saying anything about this?’ At first I felt compelled to say something, but I fell back. This was reminiscent of all the times White people demanded information from People of Color as to why their transgressions were wrong under the guise of education. Also, it felt like we were being used as a shield of sorts. Like the old favorite ‘I have Black friends so I can’t be racist’. On another side of it, it was also troubling to consider that there aren’t many People of Color within the scene. And even if there is a small group, some may not feel comfortable speaking out on this.

I have a few theories as to why that might be the case:

- The ‘I’m not your mule’ theory. Black people have to deal with racist microaggressions on the daily. To see something play out like this leaves one feeling they can take a few routes. However, if you’re just tired of diving in constantly and trying to explain to people that they might be doing messed up stuff? You don’t want to engage in conversation with someone that has the verbal equivalent of a brick wall. That is stressful. Stress in turn shaves time off your life. Sometimes we don’t engage for our own health.  It may not be the immediate and correct action, but prioritizing health is key.

- The “I’m not like the rest of you” theory. (this theory will tie into the next one, so please bear with me) There could be people of color within this scene that feels they transcend their race and such things as racism are beyond them. That there are ‘far more pressing matters in the world’ to be bothered with an antiquated notion like racism. Or the idea that something that can be considered a macro microaggression is ‘even that serious’.

- The ‘pick me’ types. These types of folk are everywhere, no matter what the scene. Approval and the sense of belonging will essentially override anything that is considered damaging. See also, the ‘cool Black friend’ archetype, also known as the ‘you’re not like other Black people’ etc. Also can also come about from being ostracized from a group due to not having specific tastes that conform to their initial group but finding shelter within one that accepts them. More often than not, that person will prioritize protecting that group at all costs.  Whenever those types realize what they have bought into long after the fact, it takes a while to unpack all that negativity.

I don’t wish to speak for all People of Color on this; I can only speak to my experience as a Black woman in this general scene. For a scene that was fostered by non-white PoC and the LGBTQIA, it has become gentrified in its own way. This scene preaches inclusiveness and refuge for those that don’t feel like they belong in society. That’s why I am disappointed by the water carrying done in the name for a person that engaged in accidental racism and glommed on to the concept that it’s ‘just art’. This brings me back to the small amount of Black people that might be active in this scene. I realize that some areas are far more progressive than others, but for the really progressive ones there are exceedingly regressive ones. People who are dyed in the wool scene kids probably cannot fathom the idea of feeling unwelcome in a place that is a point of refuge for them. However, that is an actual thing. If I didn’t have my initial introduction to this scene by someone I trusted, I would have been content to listen to the music. Due to the nature of what’s going on and add to that growing societal tensions, it is easy to see why some wouldn’t feel comfortable going to a show if there isn’t something in the way of backup coming with them. It does seem an extreme sort of reaction, but when there is this type of mental gymnastics going on to deny some rather suspect actions, you have to expect the worst.