The relationship between white folks and spaces meant for liberation is interesting. Liberation is so embedded in freeing the marginalized- totally opposing whiteness. Dialogue is around dismantling white supremacy and privilege; so for a white person to want to engage in these spaces is beyond me. This is a peculiar spot for white folks to be in. I imagine it awkward and always question how pro liberation can they be. I know white allies who are willing to die for the cause, however most of them in our spaces don't seem that about it.
At NYU's Cooper Square facility a panel called "The Politics of Art and Displacement" occurred. It's a topic I'd never thought about, but after listening to all of the knowledgeable folks I felt more aware and informed on how to help. This space was predominantly white and of course when dealing with white people in movement spaces, there's a point of euro centrism.
A young white girl mentioned how she is a student who's been in New York for a few years and lives in Bed-Stuy. She claims Bed-Stuy has affordable housing; and she knows she's attributing to gentrification but she also wants "affordable housing", so she questioned how she could help. Let me just say if she considers the housing affordable in current Bed-Stuy then she is a gentrifier to the T and is disconnected from those at risk of being displaced. Anyways, one panelist said getting informed is a way she could help. Another panelist towards the end expressed her exhaustion of dealing with assisting white people in the movement. We're not here to instruct or explain to them what's what. I totally felt her on that and thought it was important for those in the room to understand.
Afterwards there was wine and refreshments because fancy university panels. While I was manning, or I suppose womanning, the wine table, and by that I mean standing right by the wine for automatic refills, I was next to two white passing women. They were womanning the salad. They were talking about a variety of things including the panel of course. And at one point one of the women blurted "...and the white thing... we never get it, we don't understand...". The other white passing woman complained back "it's never enough". Firstly, I thought they must be really buzzed because my black body is literally right next to them guzzling wine and gorging salad and they are saying these things. Secondly, I was like wow tell us how you really feel. I just cannot trust white allies who have these kinds of thoughts and complaints. It shows they're more interested in being recognized for their involvement rather than effectively help. This was disturbing to say the least.
What was even more disturbing was that one of these white women after the fact goes directly to the black woman panelist and starts calling her "fierce". Lord only knows how many times she repeatedly it and how insulting it actually was. It was so "girl yasss" in the worst way. She kept this panelist talking for a gross amount of time and kept saying micro-aggressive things like "black women know the earth, and they know their hair". Like what?
Once this panelist was freed from this obnoxious white girl I was finally trying to complete the conversation she actually started with me until she was whisked away to meet more important folks. I kept it short as two white women were watching us talk as if to hurry me up. Talk about not allowing space for people of color.
So this experience made my concerns about white allies more real: are they trustworthy? Do they have our best interest at heart? Will they learn and grow? Do they want us to take or leave whatever "help" they offer?
The movement isn't a feel good about ourselves card. It's our livelihood. We are serious about being free and if white folks come around who aren't, well then they just don't need to come around.
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