You Can't Win With Some People
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You Can't Win With Some People
The choice to engage with racism and anti-racism
Hello friends,
In thinking about my recent Substack Notes experience, one thing has become clear. Black folx and Black women in particular can’t really “win” when it comes to talking about racism. Not that there are truly any winners here.
When I look back over my choices at the time, they were limited. I could have said nothing, and let people go on spewing bigotry. That would probably have kept me personally safe from harm.
Or I could have chosen to speak, which I did because it didn’t sit right with me to let the bigotry go unchallenged. And I also thought other people needed to see what it was like.
For my trouble, I was characterised as “whiny” and “weak” when all I did was state the facts as they happened and ask for a platform-level solution. I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t seem unreasonable to me.
What’s really interesting is that though I pretty much stopped engaging with those people - I have reshared similar perspectives from others - they kept coming after me. Now that they know I exist, they cannot wait to tell me how wrong I am to hold the perspectives I do. To date, I still have made no personal attacks on anyone. As I said in my last piece, when people are offended by my general comments about racists and bigots, it says more about them than it does me, because I named no names.
I’ve seen much the same happen on other platforms, in particular LinkedIn, where I’m reasonably active. I don’t get a lot of hatred on there, though others do, but I do get some mansplaining, whitesplaining and the like, plus platform-wide suppression. I really can’t be bothered to deal with that any more - it’s a distraction from my real work of helping create paths to equality and doing my bit to end racism.
But every day, and every moment, I have to make the choice as to whether I am emotionally equipped to deal with tongue-lashing, name-calling, microaggressions and more from white folx, or whether it’s a moment to move on.
And in the moment where I decide to speak out, I have to make another decision about what I’ll respond to and for how long.
It is, quite frankly, exhausting.
But I continue to do it when I’m able, because the alternative is to let the bigots run riot unopposed - and that I will never do.
What are you doing to fight racism and bigotry today?
Thanks for reading
Sharon
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© Sharon Hurley Hall, 2023. All Rights Reserved.
Cover photo courtesy of Canva.
I am an anti-racism educator and activist, Co-Founder of Mission Equality the author of “I’m Tired of Racism”, and co-host of The Introvert Sisters podcast.
You Can't Win With Some People
Sharon, you are doing such important work. When it’s “one of those days,” remember that there are many, many people who support you. You might not always hear it because a lot of us are quiet, but we believe that the writing you are doing is valuable and will reach those who need to hear it and learn.
Never give up. We need you.
Sharon, just a reminder that the “trolls”, include foreign actors whose sole mission is to inflame hatred and divisions. They are still with us, though most media has ignored their presence. These trolls have the time and tools to seek you out and multiply the hate exponentially, with their fake and co-accounts. They thrive on engagement. They probably get bonus pay for mass interactions!
This is their job and their existence has become normalized. They are now included in the harmless sounding “bot” category. The term “troll”, to most, refers to an annoying, rude fellow-citizen.
They are the original source of the fake photos and other propaganda against BLM, and the push to label it a terrorist organization. It’s serious.
This is a topic I’ve always done a lot of research on. It’s important that the source of, probably some of the fiercest racism, is fake. Destructive, absolutely, but may help you to decide how to deal with what the platform won’t deal with.
I would never deny the existence of racism- it’s just a reminder that these miserable ***#***s are among us always. Online.
Thank you Sharon!