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MrScorpio

(73,631 posts)
Wed Jun 27, 2018, 12:30 AM Jun 2018

100 Ways White People Can Make Life Less Frustrating For People of Color

Just a few suggestions to start with.

Kesiena Boom

As someone with very low tolerance for racist bullshit, I’ve managed to surround myself with white people who are cognizant of their privilege and strive to make the world a less terrifying and frustrating place for people of color. This means that I often deal with said white people asking me what they can actually do to affect change. So here, anxious allies of the world, are 100 simple ways to be the change. It's not nearly comprehensive, but it's somewhere to start. Go forth and disrupt our harmful racial paradigm!

1. Just because you can’t see racism around you doesn’t mean it's not happening. Trust people of color’s assessment of a situation.

2. Don’t assume that all people of color share the same views. We are not a monolith.

3. Don’t assume or guess people’s races. This is NOT a fun game for us.

4. If someone tells you they’re from Uganda, don’t say, “I went to Nigeria once!” Just, please.

5. Related: Don’t refer to Africa as a country. It's a continent and it's wildly varied. Yes. Take a moment.

6. Oh, and rest assured that literally no person of color ever wants you to get back from holiday, show off your tan and excitedly exclaim, “Look, I’m almost as dark as you!” Cease and desist.

7. Don’t assume that a person of color knows everything about their country of heritage. Do you know everything there is to know about America? Germany? Sweden? That’s what I thought.

8. Don’t assume we can run if we’re Black, do math if we’re Asian, have drinking problems if we’re indigenous…

9. Regard us as autonomous, unique individuals, not as representatives of our race.

10. Don’t make embarrassing jokes to try and be “down” with people of color. We’ll laugh at you, not with you.

The other 90: https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/ne95dm/how-to-be-a-white-ally-to-people-of-color
14 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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100 Ways White People Can Make Life Less Frustrating For People of Color (Original Post) MrScorpio Jun 2018 OP
Only 100?! No doubt we can add a lot more to the list. InAbLuEsTaTe Jun 2018 #1
That's an interesting take ProudLib72 Jun 2018 #6
aaaaway too few........ raven mad Jun 2018 #8
Don't make them potato salad NY_20th Jun 2018 #2
I make the worlds BEST potato salad - raven mad Jun 2018 #4
lol NY_20th Jun 2018 #5
#10 one of the most annoying lunasun Jun 2018 #3
17. Never try and tell a person of color what is or isn't racist. sheshe2 Jun 2018 #7
In other words give them a pass whistler162 Jun 2018 #12
Message auto-removed Name removed Jun 2018 #9
I am honored, thank you very much. MrScorpio Jun 2018 #11
America is not a country pintobean Jun 2018 #10
And yet the word "America" covers just the USA. Igel Jun 2018 #13
K&R ck4829 Jun 2018 #14

ProudLib72

(17,984 posts)
6. That's an interesting take
Wed Jun 27, 2018, 01:06 AM
Jun 2018

I was thinking most white people will look at the list and exclaim, "There are 100! Oh man, that's too many to remember. I'm doing fine as I am, so I don't need to worry."

But I have to say that most of them are pretty much common sense.

raven mad

(4,940 posts)
4. I make the worlds BEST potato salad -
Wed Jun 27, 2018, 12:54 AM
Jun 2018

and my friends of color always ask me to bring it to cookouts..............

lunasun

(21,646 posts)
3. #10 one of the most annoying
Wed Jun 27, 2018, 12:50 AM
Jun 2018

10. Don’t make embarrassing jokes to try and be “down” with people of color. We’ll laugh at you, not with you.
Hey, I'm not even laughing at all usually just groaning behind a fake smile

# 9'is seriously great advice to those asking for it

Response to MrScorpio (Original post)

Igel

(35,393 posts)
13. And yet the word "America" covers just the USA.
Wed Jun 27, 2018, 08:22 AM
Jun 2018

Just as "United States" in Spanish is "estados unidos," and I had one person argue calling the USA just "United States" was a hurtful chauvinist slam against Mexicans proud of their "Estados unidos (mexicanos)". Sadly, that person was a professor and, seriously, should have known something about how language works when spoken by actual people (pretty much regardless of language).

When speaking of "the Americas" you get two continents and never some sort of plural of majesty referring to the US. When speaking of "America," you get a country; speaking of a continent as "America" would be too confusing without context, and in context we wouldn't notice the problem. "North America" is the continent, "Northern America" is part of a country.

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