Ms. Ashley,
Well said! Well said!!
Right now…as we speak, I’ve noticed something that’s happened before. But it’s hard to discuss. Especially with white people I do have relationships with, and understand where their heart is.
However, they are almost all displaying that frustrating tic, that very reaction you describe, and a means of deflection: they won’t LISTEN.
A line from a song comes to mind, “do you only care about the bleeding crowd? How about a needing friend?”
As they are hand wringing and expressing anger over the crisis at the border, or yet another mass shooting, I’m telling them over and over that policies they support, put black people in a very difficult socio/political situation and this is a TRADITION that’s occurred over and over again.
What might seem like humanitarian progress (sanctuary states)to my friends who have escaped to suburbs FAR from any acute experiences with the results, it’s been a crushing detriment to most black people (competition for resources, undercutting labor unions and workplace leverage).
Black people and their tenuous hold on any economic stability, is kicked hard again and topples for the sake of short sighted feel good (down with the brown) terms.
And any time I point this out, I get a lecture on how great life really is, and I’m treated like an ingrate or naive to other societal problems (like lack of gun control).
Nothing that wear me out faster, than a white person race ‘splaining to me.
See?
Can’t get them to even LISTEN or try to see what I know as legit.
And THAT does seem a form of racism (or at least racial insensitivity).
And I’m tired of having to deal with THAT too.