White Women and Men allies on the front lines earnestly addressing supremacy, oppression, privilege, racism, genderism, all of the isms and poisons. Needed are White Women and Men allies speaking to their families, friends, and neighbors. Their silence equals my death! My question is, will their sons and daughters bodies be met with growling dogs, water filled hoses, harassment, guns, brutality and murder? The known terror People Of Color meet with daily. Will they be attacked for demanding
their rights?
I was added to the FB group (formerly) known as the Million Woman March. Once there, I protested the appropriation of a name with historical significance for the Black community. I shared the herstory/history of both the Million Man March and the Million Woman March. My comment was deleted by the Facebook Administrator said to be orchestrating the march. Only after several protests from myself and others did a name change take place. While there I found myself engaged in serious battle with some women whitesplaining, and an Asian woman who assigned herself the role of protector. Protector of what? Her tone was one of extreme anger. She said, I disgusted her. She was combative and mistakenly thought she could gather the troops to attack me, and failed. No one engaged with her. She left after verbally attacking me. My crime? I had the audacity to share my truth. I was her embarrassment. I wasn’t the obedient WOC melting into the background. the backdrop. A backdrop placed for visibility, to give the march “inclusion legitimacy”.
Unlike her, my goal while there was not to gain anyone’s friendship and comradeship, at the expense of selling my self respect and dignity. Nor was I on board for some mythological sisterhood. A vagina and breast does not automatically make us sisters. I’ve been betrayed by women of all hues who called me sister. I do not know the organizer, her politics and agenda, nor the politics of the women in the group. The administrator and orchestrator for this facebook group, I found myself placed in. I do know she’s a white woman lawyer living in Hawaii. Women of color in this group were determined not to allow the status quo to prevail. My post continued to be deleted and
I was blocked by the Admin. Clearly, she was not in the mood to hear about oppression, all of the isms, entitlement, and privilege. My oppression is not for sale, and will not be used as an opportunity to falsely be seen as inclusive. My truth was seen as divisive. The result was more whitesplaining and others speaking about voting for HRC and the wonderful things they were doing for POC. Some members owned their entitlement and privilege. Eager to learn, listen and desiring a dialog in earnest. Needed are people on the frontlines doing whatever is within their means. I urge POC to continue speaking our truth and stand firm, even at the risk of being misunderstood and vilified.
66% of White women, 29% Latina women and 4% Black women voted for the newly elected president. 94% of Black women voted for Hillary Rodham Clinton, Black women did the work and Hillary’s so-called White women constituency failed her. It was this statement that angered the administrator and others. I’m not blindly participating in any activities, because someone says I should. I’ve been down this road before. I have every right to have my questions answered in detail. At 65, I’m not new to protest, far from it. It appears this group’s banner women rights and opposition to the newly elected president. Racism, sexism, genderism, entitlement, privilege, LGBTQ rights etc. were not being addressed in this group.True allies must come center stage and give voice to the oppression of POC, and the privilege and entitlement they live safely in.
Freedom comes with a price. POC when participating in demonstrations in DC or elsewheres. We must make certain our voices are placed center stage, speaking our truth. We must come with our banners and voices,and address our concerns. We do not have to beg inclusion. If need be, organize a separate march or become a part of a coalition, with true allies.
The Currelley Literary Journal 