Song: https://youtu.be/4976Fgvf5Ps
Commentary:
Silky smooth musical medicine.
Maybe corny, but this popped in my head this morning and I’m thinking tenderly especially of my many BIPOC friends and fellow humans of the world who are receiving in no uncertain terms, as is typically the case in this unjust world, that they are disposable, undervalued, not loved, not important, or worthy. There’s so much horrid brutality and oppression about this universe, that once you become aware...REALLY aware, and THEN can comprehend your space and place and role in upholding injustice and perpetuation of pain to others, you begin to sense an unshakable urge to disrupt it. For me it has been a steady comprehension all through college, coming from a small majority white town, having a curiosity and openness to all that is other and new, to asking questions and leaning in and sitting through defensiveness, committing to the process of unlearning all the ways whiteness does mean expansion and possession at the expense of those deemed “lesser”, further understanding that whiteness isn’t skin color really—it’s a vibe, a purposefully invisibilized upholding of correspondingly dangerous philosophy of domination and a unshakeable belief in some “god given” “betterness” of a way of being and safety existing in the world and everyone else damned, it’s an unexamined commitment to all that is whiteness (again, it’s actually not skin color—it’s an oppressive world view and philosophy that propagates colonialism through indoctrinated adherence and unadulterated loyalty). And I’ve seen it folks, I see it now and back throughout history, a toxic cancer with many faces and power sources, arms of the state which extend through all of us when we uphold and perpetuate everything that whiteness is. All that to say—I’m in this, deep in this, and because I’m in this and have seen and felt and heard enough indication that the doctrine of white is as alive and well as ever—from dear friends and random strangers and people I’ve dated—that I don’t need further “proof”, I’m not here to argue about whiteness and racism and if it’s a thing or doing harm. It is undoubtedly, and will continue to wreck havoc on innocent persons the world over until enough folks with power (I.e. whiteness) get fed up. I been fed up and I do my damndest every day and moment to bring others into the fold. The path toward justice and the future of a truly equal world is unmistakably long and treacherous and fraught with all kinds of problematic bullshit that has and will cause harm, buuuut... I’m on it, more and more I’m getting in lock step, arm in arm with all the rest of those who are coming awake or have been to the real reality that injustice is real and thriving. This pain is all our pain. These deaths and killings are our deaths. And these protests are our protests. And you know, maybe they need to be “riots”. I like to think of them as bullshit identifiers. You don’t have to agree with or understand the approaches or tactics of those who have been perpetually abused and downtrodden and “other-Ed” into oblivion. You don’t need to “agree” with that to agree with the wrongness of injustice, in another court case where a woman in her bed was murdered and nothing like justice has been shown (yet again, yet again, yet again). The “evidence” is there so all I ask myself and all anyone with adherence to whiteness needs to ask is “Is this a system I want to contribute to? As it is currently, without much indication of possibility for real sustainable change//that isn’t hinged on actively harming others?” That’s it. And for me the answer continues to be no, hell no. And any implication or outright detraction of being a “race traitor” doesn’t phase me...you know why? Because I’m not white in any way beyond the fact that I’m pale as fuck. But the cool thing about that is that I also possess this power of White Girl Dangerous (most commonly exhibited by subspecies of whiteness genus “Karen”, neo nazis, straight up nazi, et al)—but I am the type of White Girl Dangerous that knows things, that understands more and more the power in this skin, the good I can do in leveraging the knowledge of whiteness to tear (nay, even burn it down), via sure, protesting, but also through tough conversations with even often truly well-meaning white folks who may come in the form of friends and family (hiiii, y’all). I’m White Girl Dangerous with a smile on my face, fist in the air, and the knowledge of many avenues I can go about fucking up all that is colonialism and genocide and whiteness and all other wrongness. An injury to one is unequivocally an injury to all. And y’all, we’re injured. We’re way culturally injured and lost and scared and angry and seriously...just wrong. We need to get right. Don’t you want to get right with us? I damn do. I pray and hope you may join us. And soon.
And truly to my BIPOC pals and friends and all other form of online connection. I do my best to see you and I want you to know I see you and beyond that value you and am protective as hell towards you. Always and more each day. I’ve no interest in virtue signaling or hollow promises of togetherness and oneness. But I do have a commitment to holding myself accountable and being as equipped and non-Karen White Girl Dangerous on any given day (it might not be possible to repurpose the white solidarity fist, but damn I wanna try). Heya hey, you lovely humans. Please do all you can to rest for even a bit and continue to shelter from all the horrible realities that show all the work that hasn’t been done. I hug you now only to say...I’m not going anywhere. I’m here and exploring all the ways to commit others to throwing out and burning the whiteness decree of foreveryear. Cause fuck this shit, since forever. I am certain this song is in my head for you. I want you around. And many of us want you and Breonna girl around and I’m in this. Don’t take my words for it, I aim to show you.
✊🏻✊🏻✊🏻💛💛💛😳😭🤬😫😘
