![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
My two rules of writing about That Which I Know Not:
1. Research. Research. Research.
2. Be prepared to take criticism for what I get wrong. Apologise. Work out where I went wrong. Keep an eye out against it happening again.
I'll admit that writing about race goes out of my safe space: I don't have the lingo, I don't have the credentials, the question of my racial identity has been one without the degree of trouble that others experience, and I haven't the faintest idea where to start or end the deconstruction of my perspectives and prejudices let alone other people.
And after every post I make about race, I'm terrified.
I'm terrified that my friends who don't have to think about the issues of race and culture will say, "Oh, look, it's T being all angsty about her race issues again; pass on to the next post and don't catch her eye!"
I'm terrified that my friends who have to live with issues of ingrained, systemic, unchallengeable racism all the time will say, "Great, just what we need - another pretender to race issues."
Sometimes, I think it would be easier to sit down, shut up, and never blog about race again. To hell with that - I know it would be easier just to keep my head down, don't make eye contact, and go with the flow. Think happy thoughts. Squee when everyone else squees. Don't try to challenge the status quo, because it doesn't change anything - people aren't lightbulbs, they don't just need changing, they have to want to change, too.
I just don't think it would be the right thing to do. I don't think I should be comfortable with sitting down and shutting up and not at least trying to change perspectives, even if it's only one person at a time - even if it's my perspective that needs changing.
links for clarification
deepad | shewhohashope | willow
ladyjax
1. Research. Research. Research.
2. Be prepared to take criticism for what I get wrong. Apologise. Work out where I went wrong. Keep an eye out against it happening again.
I'll admit that writing about race goes out of my safe space: I don't have the lingo, I don't have the credentials, the question of my racial identity has been one without the degree of trouble that others experience, and I haven't the faintest idea where to start or end the deconstruction of my perspectives and prejudices let alone other people.
And after every post I make about race, I'm terrified.
I'm terrified that my friends who don't have to think about the issues of race and culture will say, "Oh, look, it's T being all angsty about her race issues again; pass on to the next post and don't catch her eye!"
I'm terrified that my friends who have to live with issues of ingrained, systemic, unchallengeable racism all the time will say, "Great, just what we need - another pretender to race issues."
Sometimes, I think it would be easier to sit down, shut up, and never blog about race again. To hell with that - I know it would be easier just to keep my head down, don't make eye contact, and go with the flow. Think happy thoughts. Squee when everyone else squees. Don't try to challenge the status quo, because it doesn't change anything - people aren't lightbulbs, they don't just need changing, they have to want to change, too.
I just don't think it would be the right thing to do. I don't think I should be comfortable with sitting down and shutting up and not at least trying to change perspectives, even if it's only one person at a time - even if it's my perspective that needs changing.
deepad | shewhohashope | willow
ladyjax