People of Colour and Feminist SF Carnivals

The 7th POC carnival is at Willow’s Seeking Avalon this time (Willow started the carnival, so that’s pretty nifty). I missed #6, but it is linked along with all past carnivals at the homepage for People of Colour in SF Carnival. There’s so much good stuff there, I really recommend it.

I also forgot to link the 19th Feminist SF Carnival at Girls Read Comics. Which is dumb, because I distinctly remember reading it.

Before you start on the POC Carnival, you may wish to read Baby-stepping away from racism: A guide for white people which was posted two days ago (hat tip to Coffee and Ink’s Feb 3 round-up Race, race in fandom, race in fandom as an example of race in the world). It’s broken down into four goals and some “babysteps” on achieving them. I really enjoyed reading it. Here are some highlights:

Goal #1: Recognize and acknowledge your white privilege
- Baby-step: Gain an understanding of privilege in a way that’s more comfortable for you

Goal #2: Learn to live with your white privilege once you’ve acknowledged it
- Baby-step: Shut up. No, seriously, don’t talk.

You will get a chance to talk. You will get an opportunity to ask questions later…Trust me, society is not going to wake up tomorrow and realize that all white people are racists. Your voice doesn’t need to be heard in support of whiteness. Nothing bad will happen to you if you shut up. Being “anti-PC” is not sticking it to the Man, it’s sticking it to all the people whom the Man routinely stomps on.

Goal #3: Educate yourself about race and racism.
- Baby-step: Learn the terminology. Love the terminology. Live the terminology.

This is a good time to learn to take responsibility for your own education; notice that the goal is to educate yourself.

…if you jump right into anti-racist discourse and activist circles, you will probably run screaming or start fuming and make an ass of yourself. This will be largely due to a lack of understanding of terminology. If I say “racist” and you hear “Klansman,” we are going to have problems.

From the comments, regarding this: “One of the things I’ve noticed over and over again…is that when the word “racism” comes up, most white people seem to think about the *intent* of a behavior, and most black people seem to think about the *effect* of a behavior.”

Goal #4: Speak out. Act out.
- Baby-step: Act in a supporting role

“You can cross a line between respectful listening and a useless and fairly creepy sort of terminal observation and refusal to open yourself up and participate. When you can engage with POC on issues of racism without making them responsible for your education and well-being, you should do so.”

“Do not go barging in where you are not wanted or needed.”

“When you hear someone making the same arguments you once made…be there to correct them, to explain, to make the counter-arguments so that POC are not so exhausted by the daily grind of such repetitive expressions of privilege.”

“…stick to arguing the things that you can argue confidently and without bullshitting.”