Siddity in the City

One about POC’s cultural outposts like programming and lunch tables, and how, despite the fact those outposts are usually very-hard-fought gains in representation that were only necessary in the first place because of the (sometimes) thoughtless (and sometimes quite deliberate) exclusion of a range of representation in the “mainstream,” those primarily POC or POC-only outposts somehow still make some white people uncomfortable. Inspired by conversation and lived experience and argument and all that good shit, but you know what? I’ve labored over it and it’s late and I’m tired and, frankly, not feeling like donning the instructional negress cap at the moment.

So instead I’m linking to macon d over at Stuff White People Do. If you’re a POC and not reading him, maybe you should. He tries. But like, really, genuinely, “I am a white dude trying to understand my privilege, this is what I’ve observed, share your thoughts, please” tries, not “I’m going to pay lip service to diversity but explain to you why you must be wrong about your perception of your experience, colored person” tries. Specifically, and most relevant to the post I will develop later, “Stuff white people do: have no problem with being surrounded by other white people.” And if you’re white, hey, it’s also full of good times for you.

I’m sure there’s some diabolical irony to found in the fact that I’m deferring, temporarily, to a white dude observing white people rather than elucidating my point on being a person of color accustomed to making white people comfortable in conversations about race, trying to gently point out that what they aren’t seeing in these contexts is the SEA OF WHITENESS that makes the pockets of color stand out, but…oh wait, look at that, I went there.

Oh, also, this Racism 101 post, handily linked in the comments of the SWPD post above, is brilliant. See especially points one, two, four and…hell, that’s just a handy bloody link. Yay, digiwebs!

Well hell, I may not even have to finish the other post.