white people need to start raising content creators who are poc instead of writing our stories for us. like either do your damn research or don’t write the story. i constantly see white people trying to have “representation” and 90% of the time they’re caricatures of what a poc is.
white people consistently gravitating towards another white person telling the story of a brown person and giving themselves a pat on the back for basically telling their white experience through a brown mouth. white people, please understand yall are part of the problem and you need to be conscious of the work you’re consuming and making.
then there’s poc content creators giving accurate deep portrayals of their experience who get little to no exposure and who’s legitimate stories get swept under the rug.
this is about latinx, indigenous, black, mixed, asian, and other racial/ethnic minorities (espeically those who are disabled and/or lgbtq+)
it’s really telling when a white people scrolls past this, so reblog. ask questions. start a dialogue dont just ignore and act like you’re the exception to this.
while i don’t necessarily agree with people who are taking this time to focus on fictional shows and movies more than they’re focusing on, like, actual living black people, i do think if you wanna go that route, A LOT of y’all need to examine how you treat black characters. not poc characters — specifically BLACK characters. because when it comes to black characters, a lot of y’all say the same things: “oh i just can’t connect with them” or “their story just isn’t interesting to me” or “it’s not my fault!! maybe if those evil writers gave them more screentime!!” and honestly, all of that is bullshit because i have witnessed a lot of you stan non-black characters with MUCH less to go on. i’m not saying you have to stan every single black character in every single fandom you’re in (hell, i don’t even do that) but i think if you’re gonna take this current climate and use it to bury your head in fandom, ask yourself why your standards for what makes a “worthy character” are always higher for black characters than they are for everyone else
The beautifully romantic Prince Hamid for @choicescocappreciationweek Day 4
and many thanks to @princeaerin from tumblr and u/BuildCodeCryRepeat and u/Naranir95 from the subreddit for helping me transcribe and translate the Arabic as accurately as I could ❤
The actions of those on the street as well as the voices and posts of our players are making a difference at Pixelberry. We hear you. Read our latest blog for our plan going forward: www.pixelberrystudios.com/blog/2020/6/15/representation-at-pixelberry
I see y’all have already tore @playchoices and Pixelberry a new asshole for their post and said mostly everything that needed to be said, but I’ll also add on:
• Hire more black writers, artists, editors, coders, etc. There’s way too much black talent in the Bay Area going unnoticed
• Call our your tone deaf (at best) and racist (at worst) fans when you see them acting a plum fool on social media, because we know you see it (the ignorant comments are literally under their FB post as I’m typing this out)
• Stop partaking in tokenism, and actually give the black characters meaningful storylines.
• Tailor your dialogue to actually fit black MCs and customizable black LIs. This one size fits all dialogue is a mess
• Keep this same energy a month from now, a year from now, two years from now when the hashtags are no longer trending 24/7
And @playchoices the very, very least you guys could’ve done with your huge platform is link a petition or two
We may be socially distant in this traumatic time, but we're not alone.
For the last few weeks, I’ve been going through it. First there was the constant stream of news about the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 on Black communities, then came the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Tony McDade at the hands of police and the wrongful death of Ahmaud Arbery. Meanwhile I’m navigating this pandemic along with everyone else, and trying to figure out how to make a positive impact along the way. It’s been dizzying. And I know I’m not alone.
According to Naj Austin, founder of the social community for people of color Ethel’s Club, all of those complex feelings and mixed emotions are normal in times of crisis and collective trauma. Ethel’s Club, which previously offered free mental health counseling for members in its Brooklyn location, has now transitioned to a digital model. “The great thing about a healing space like Ethel’s Club is that it takes our identity, and everything that comes with that, into account. You can’t talk about these complex feelings without talking about Blackness.” The club’s online community is hosting free, hour-long grieving sessions twice monthly.
For many Black people practicing social distancing, the need for virtual resources has never been more clear. So, I’ve compiled a list of six more mental health resources, in addition to Ethel’s Club, that are providing virtual support to the Black community right now. However you choose to grieve, process, and/or stand in solidarity, remember that you’re not alone, and that your personhood and wellness still matter.
Dive in Well
Maryam Ajayi founded Dive in Well, an organization offering digital classes on various wellness practices, to create a more inclusive wellness industry. Dive in Well hosts donation-based digital events like breathwork classes and therapy sessions aimed at centering self care.
Sista Afya
This Chicago-based, community-driven organization provides women from across the Black diaspora with low-cost group therapy sessions, workshops, and free online conversations known as Online Sista Support Groups, which cover topics like managing the stress sparked by consuming news.
Healhaus
Founders Darian Hall and Elisa Shankle created this space in Brooklyn to provide accessible and inclusive wellness to their community. HealHaus is currently closed, but their ethos has continued virtually through live streamed classes, including a healing cypher for men of color.
Therapy for Black Girls
Dr. Joy Harden Bradford founded this organization to combat the stigma around therapy that might otherwise prevent Black women from seeking care. Now, TBG has become a successful podcast, a directory that aims to connect women with culturally competent therapists, as well as a private community Facebook support group. The organization holds free group support sessions weekly on Thursday nights at 7 p.m. EST.
The Nap Ministry
Performance artist and poet Tricia Hersey founded The Nap Ministry to champion Black rest as a form of reparations and resistance against burnout culture and capitalism. While she normally hosts free pop-ups where visitors can take brief naps and workshops in the Atlanta area, Hersey has been using Instagram to provide mini sermons about the importance of slowing down and getting more sleep when you’re a Black person fighting oppression day-in and day-out.
Inclusive Therapists
Austin-based therapist Melody Li founded the Inclusive Therapists database to provide therapists with training for racial trauma and connect people of all identities, abilities, and bodies with culturally sensitive care. Li herself, and many other therapists in the Inclusive Therapists network, offer reduced-fee teletherapy options to ensure that financial limitations do not keep people from pursuing care. Decolonizing Therapy and Viva Wellness are two other therapy practices with active online platforms.
my favourite ever literary trope is “you want me to be a villain? i’ll show you a villain” that shit gives me goosebumps and given the right context also turns me on
