Hey thanks for your message. I’m gonna answer your question, but in doing so I’m going to give you some feedback that is meant to help you (and others) grow, so please try to take it as such.
I think it’s really important to first note that when/if you have a genuine interest in understanding a problem, you should take some responsibility for your own education. When marginalized people are talking about their experiences with systems of oppression “can you give me some examples” often reads as “prove your oppression exists” which is really condescending and annoying. It also comes across as incredibly disingenuous because it not only derails the conversation BUT as I said before, you’re failing to take responsibility for your own education and instead put the onus on someone else.
Now, I’m making you an example here, but in reality this happens to myself and other marginalized people who speak about their experiences online all the time. And it’s important to note, that it’s not always someone trolling or being generally awful, sometimes it’s completely genuine. I can’t tell you how many people have messaged me along the lines of, “I’m writing a paper about XYZ can you tell me what books to read?” or “what does X word mean?” I’m not exaggerating when I say I get HUNDREDS of these messages daily and I don’t doubt the women you’ve reached out to previously do as well. Even if I spent just 10 minutes pulling links and resources to help everyone who requested it, I wouldn’t have time to do my own work. It’s super easy to hit up google to find the answers to these questions, or visit your local library or amazon to learn more about systems of oppression like institutional and systemic racism if you’re truly intersected in learning. At some point you gotta do your own homework.
Again, I don’t say this to shame you or suggest you don’t have the best of intentions, but I understand why some of the women you’ve reached out to may have not responded in the most kind fashion. Being someone’s teacher 24/7 is exhausting, even for people like myself who willingly dedicate time and energy to educating others and they STILL don’t watch the videos, read the articles or check the listed sources. At some point you just throw up your hands and say “screw it. I’m not your teacher.”
So with that being said, here are some examples you asked for along with resources to help continue your learning:
– what is systemic racism?
– cases of discrimination against black women with natural hairstyles
– Sexual Violence in the Lives of African American Women: Risk, Response, and Resilience
– sexual assault and women of color
– systemic gendered racism and black women’s entrepreneurship
– Report Finds That Women of Color in Science Face Both Gender and Racial Bias
– #SayHerName: Why We Should Declare That Black Women And Girls Matter, Too
– The Pay Gap Is Even Worse for Black Women, and That’s Everyone’s Problem
Hi Franchesca, I hear a lot of womanist’s and black rights activists talk about systematic/institutional racism and how they experience it, and when I do ask them for examples they tell me they have no obligation to tell me, and that they’re not my slaves. And yes, they have no obligation to do so, but when one makes such claims evidence would be most appropriate. Could you give me examples of the systematic/institutional that you face and other black people face? Thank you
Published
Thoughtfulfangirling 