IBARW 2!

[oyceter]

Guess what? It's almost time for Intl. Blog Against Racism Week again!

Yes, I am making this a yearly thing.

Since it started around mid-July last year, I want to keep it around the same time. But since my birthday is in late July, and I am entirely selfish and really don't want to be dealing with potential race-related stupidity around my birthday, I am making the first full week of August officially the week of IBARW.

So that's August 6 to August 12!

This year, I want to a) read through all of last year's entries and pick my favs, b) blog more about POC reactions to racism (internalized, denial, acknowledgment, anger, etc.) without having it turn into "But POC are racist too OMG WOE!", c) actually do something about the "international" part, and d) continue to post about it the rest of the year too.

What Can I Do?

Well! I'm glad you asked! (or, uh, didn't, but whatever, I'll pretend that people did.)

1. First, I'd love volunteers to be Icon-Makers of the Revolution!
   
   I made some icons last year, which are still up for grabs, and I will make more this year. But I am singularly uncreative and am running out of icon ideas, and my icon skills are passable but really not the best. Also, for people who want customized personal icons or whatnot, it'd be nice to have more icon-makers to go to.



2. Second, I need a Record-Keeper of the Revolution!
   
   You'll be compiling all IBARW posts during the week, like rilina did last year in the handy link compilation. I think mostly people comment with a link to theirs, so you don't have to search all over the internet to find things. The link compilation will include all posts for IBARW, including sporktastic ones, though I encourage people to create their own recommended posts lists too!
   
   
   • Alternately... since IBARW generated over 200 posts last year, I think it'd also be cool if there were a Programmer of the Revolution who wrote up a link-compiling program that would have people input the link, title, poster, time posted, and summary of their posts and spit out a handy-dandy list. I think I do have webspace for something like this, although I'd need to re-investigate, as I have completely forgotten what I can do with it.



3. Thirdly, post!! If you're a white person and don't want to take attention away from POC bloggers, I respect that a lot. But if you still want to contribute without taking attention away, you can also post links to posts POC have made as well, or drive traffic, or search for IBARW links that people may have missed.

And while I'm asking for things, I so want an Anti-Racism 101 blog a la Finally, a Feminism 101 Blog. I would very much contribute and possibly even be able to create the blog, but I don't think I have the time to post to it often. Maybe I will think about just compiling links and whatnot for the FAQs section or something. Hrm...

Thoughts? Questions? Bueller?

Comments

[littlebutfierce]

Oh, exciting!!! Last year was splendid, & I look forward to this year too.

Sadly, I have no icon talent. I could do the Record-Keeper thing, but it would be even more fabulous if you had a Programmer of the Revolution show up instead. :)

[jinian.livejournal.com]

On record-keeping, how about a wiki? I'd be happy to host.

[rydra_wong]

I have no thoughts or questions at this time; I merely wish to shriek with glee.

[minnow1212.livejournal.com]

Whee!

[oyceter]

Yay! jinian suggested a wiki, which I think is brilliant!

[oyceter]

Oh! That's brilliant! It'd be awesome if you could host, thank you!

[rilina.livejournal.com]

Re recording keeping: I second the suggestion of a wiki, or recommend using something like delicious.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

I think I do have webspace for something like this, although I'd need to re-investigate, as I have completely forgotten what I can do with it.

You can do a database/webpage thing - you've got MySQL and PHP enabled.

If you want to do a wiki, you can install MediaWiki (the Wikipedia software) with a one-click install. If you do that I HIGHLY recommend, seeing how ... enthusiastic this sort of discussion can be, either appointing several mods/admins to keep an eye on it during that week and the few weeks after to block trolls and spambots and revert pages when they get trolled or spammed if you keep membership open, or locking down account creation to admins only to keep a handle on the trolls and bots. Option 1 is more work but better PR-wise because you're not excluding anyone, Option 2 is less work but opens you to accusations of not letting people have their say, whatever say it is.

But it all depends on what you envision for the wiki. I'd suggest installing it now and getting familiar with editing it. :)

[ladyjax.livejournal.com]

I'll help in anyway I can. Would you like to use my Black Feminist/Lesbian reading primer? I can add to it too.

[wychwood]

For the compilation type thing, you might benefit from using del.icio.us and del.icio.us glue. I believe it's what metafandom uses these days, and seems to work pretty well for link-compiling; I bet they'd be able to show you how to use it. And having all the posts up and linked on del.icio.us as well as within LJ seems like a good idea to me - it's public, widely-used, and a lot easier to search through than LJ.

On a different note, I'm not signing up as an official Icon Maker of the Revolution for potential RL reasons, but I'll hopefully be able to make some icons in time.

[shewhohashope.livejournal.com]

I'm international! I have Somali and British citizenship. The former is worth shit for passports or the right to vote or anything else that comes with citizenship, but I feel like it counts.

I'll have to think about what I can say...

[vee-fic.livejournal.com]

I'm in! Apartment-hunting has provided some scary discussion-fodder.

[chomiji]

I could do some icons. Last year, IIRC, someone was suggesting the motto "Spork Out Against Racism," which is pretty silly but also pretty effective because it makes people stop and think a moment while they laugh. Any interest in that again? (I've already started playing around with ideas with some spork pix.) Also am making one to use myself featuring book cover art by Leo and Diane Dillon, award-winning artist/illustrators who happen to be a biracial couple and who have done a lot of SF&F cover work (example: the U.S. paperback covers for Garth Nix' "Abhorsen" trilogy). And I'd be glad to turn others' ideas into icons if they don't feel comfy about doing it themselves.

[oyceter]

Yaaaay!

[oyceter]

^___^

[oyceter]

Yeah.. I'm leaning toward wiki right now, though with delicious, it'll be easier to subscribe. Hrm. Will contemplate and discuss with Jinian, who has volunteered herself.

[oyceter]

Hee, I thought so, but I couldn't remember!

I suspect the wiki would probably be for admins only, since there will be so much stuff going on that it'll be hard to police everything. Will get in touch with Jinian and see what she thinks too.

[oyceter]

Oooh, thanks for the links!

And hey, no worries.

[oyceter]

Thank you, you are awesome! I may grab you later for the link list modding or promoting on various comms or something.

Also, I would love to use your reading primer!

[oyceter]

Doh, replied to the wrong comment!

[oyceter]

That would be excellent! I remember some people in the UK posting that their town/city/whatnot had no racism, which made me seriously doubt them, but I didn't have enough info. to make a very good defense.

I would love to read whatever you decided to write on.

[oyceter]

Whoo!

Hey, are you still up for writing that faq? I'm sure I can help come up with lots of stupid questions ;).

[oyceter]

That would be great! I'll check with Yoon about the spork motto; I think it was her custom icon last year.

Will definitely ping you later when things really get started.

[shewhohashope.livejournal.com]

"I remember some people in the UK posting that their town/city/whatnot had no racism."

Yeah people say that. And then they turn around and use 'Irish' as a synonym for 'stupid', or complain about 'the Pakis', or tell you that you're alright, it's just everyone else who looks like you that they don't like.

Wow, I have quite a bit of material. I'll save it for the week.

Or I could just post it whenever I feel like and link it all together for IBARW.

[hysteriachan.livejournal.com]

Oh, very cool. ^_^ I'll look forward to it!