This post gave me a lot to chew over, and crystallized some things for me.
And those who are most often given that blanket right to know are usually those who most often exercise the right to not know.
Yeah, that. It's what I've noticed, but couldn't put into words. Presumed objectivity ends up being the justification to pick and choose what knowledge is and isn't valuable and credible. And it took me a while to realize that, because I did believe in knowledge for its own sake and well-intentioned academic objectivity.
I want to change so that my own ignorance is a burden and a statement about myself, not something forced on other people the way POC are forced to bear the burden of proof, to be the outliers and not the norm.
And this, too. I've wondered how you couldnavigate finding commonality and interPoC alliance building, while also avoiding being appropriative of another PoC group's experiences. In other words, how do you avoid reinforcing the racist system and not use people as stepping stones?
Because it's not fun to have your experience and words and identity dissected, twisted, and used as raw material to reinforce someone else's worldview.
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(no subject)
Thu, Jul. 30th, 2009 10:23 pm (UTC)And those who are most often given that blanket right to know are usually those who most often exercise the right to not know.
Yeah, that. It's what I've noticed, but couldn't put into words. Presumed objectivity ends up being the justification to pick and choose what knowledge is and isn't valuable and credible. And it took me a while to realize that, because I did believe in knowledge for its own sake and well-intentioned academic objectivity.
I want to change so that my own ignorance is a burden and a statement about myself, not something forced on other people the way POC are forced to bear the burden of proof, to be the outliers and not the norm.
And this, too. I've wondered how you couldnavigate finding commonality and interPoC alliance building, while also avoiding being appropriative of another PoC group's experiences. In other words, how do you avoid reinforcing the racist system and not use people as stepping stones?
Because it's not fun to have your experience and words and identity dissected, twisted, and used as raw material to reinforce someone else's worldview.