Mekka  💉💉💉🎉Nov 13, 2022

1. Most Black folk in the US experience frequent racism, and have to navigate racist systems daily. It's an important part of our lives.

2. Many white folk are very uncomfortable even hearing about racism.

3. People often talk about the most important things in their lives, with their friends.

4. Most white folk in the US (~75%), have no Black friends. Zero. None.

https://www.prri.org/research/poll-race-religion-politics-americans-social-networks/

Race, Religion, and Political Affiliation of Americans' Core Social Networks - PRRI

Ninety-one percent of white Americans' core social networks are also white, while five percent are identified as some other race, finds a PRRI poll.

PRRI
Show threadBullwong
@mekkaokereke Have you seen issues on Mastodon around racism discussions? Like having to put mentions of racism behind a CW? Some folks on the bird site mentioned that.
Nov 13, 2022 at 9:18pmWeb
Show threadMekka  💉💉💉🎉Nov 13, 2022

@bullwong Yeah, but it's worse on some instances than others. This instance is super cool! I've had no issues.♥️👍🏿

Good discussions, people genuinely wanting to learn, and speaking honestly about the tradeoffs between a social network that feels better, vs not silencing or dismissing the experiences of Black folk or other communities.

Show threadBullwongNov 13, 2022
@mekkaokereke Glad to hear! If I couldn't learn more about systemic/hidden/historical racism & sexism here, that would be a major gap from what I found so valuable on the bird site. To that end, I'm glad you're here & posting as well.
Show threadTheLadyVetNov 13, 2022
@mekkaokereke @bullwong I have intentionally cultivated relationships with Black women and yet still feel weird talking with them about race. I worry that no matter how much I try to understand, I will sound like a condescending idiot. I do try to use my experiences with misogyny in hopes that gives me a little insight.
Show threadBullwongNov 13, 2022
@jenmathewsdvm @mekkaokereke If y'all are close, hopefully they'll give you some leeway. I've found having good intentions goes a LONG way towards that. I also try to keep a "learning" mindset; even if I think I understand why something is problematic, for example, I'll ask it to confirm instead of stating it like fact. (This obviously is highly discouraged amongst my gender. ♂️🙃)
Show threadMekka  💉💉💉🎉Nov 13, 2022

@jenmathewsdvm @bullwong It's OK to just listen about race! 👍🏿

Take the pressure off of yourself to say something profound, or solution-y, or to add your opinion, especially if you're unsure of what to say. Just listening is way more than most people do.

Show threadTheLadyVetNov 14, 2022
@mekkaokereke @bullwong Good advice, really, for any situation. :-)