Post AX6cWE5FCVio1GKNKC by kataklysm@gaygeek.social
(DIR) More posts by kataklysm@gaygeek.social
(DIR) Post #AX6cW572YSoKCE6BNI by kataklysm@gaygeek.social
2023-06-25T20:15:21Z
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So the rise of the far right and white nationalism over the last years have had my reflecting on my life. I have been going over how I was raised and what I’ve experienced as an adult. It’s a strange dichotomy in my head. I’ll explain. 🧵 1/11
(DIR) Post #AX6cW5l69WqyCSqAoS by kataklysm@gaygeek.social
2023-06-25T20:15:22Z
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I was raised hwhite. I grew up in a middle class Florida suburb, which was majority white (70%+). I had school friends and interactions with POC, but my life was overwhelmingly white. I’ve never judged or disliked someone based on who they were. I was taught to be colorblind (yes, I know). I was taught gay is ok and all religions are fine. This was very forward thinking in the 80s/early 90s, doubly so bc my parents were republicans.🧵 2/11
(DIR) Post #AX6cW6vlnKz3pqqD5M by kataklysm@gaygeek.social
2023-06-25T20:15:22Z
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Despite this, I still held some racist ideas. Unknowingly and unintentionally, sure, but they were there nonetheless. Idk if it had an affect on how I interacted with POC (I’m sure it did) bc no one ever called me on it. And yes, I know it’s not the job of POCs to educate me. Fast forward to 2002. I’m 18 and moved from Florida to the St Louis area. I continued to live in the whiter areas until 2004, when I moved to South City.🧵 3/11
(DIR) Post #AX6cW7nIaJnmVrsxWK by kataklysm@gaygeek.social
2023-06-25T20:15:22Z
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This was my first real exposure to true diversity and I was in love. I never realized that’s what was missing, but there it is. That is when my learning really started. I started seeing what life is like outside of the suburbs. I started interacting with a more diverse crowd and learning about their historical and current cultures. I started trying new foods and activities. It was amazing. But I still held those ideals bc I hadn’t learned not to. 🧵 4/11
(DIR) Post #AX6cW8ZVh4MmvORSfQ by kataklysm@gaygeek.social
2023-06-25T20:15:23Z
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Now it’s 2008 and I’m still in South City. Obama had just been elected and my area was celebrating (including me). I was excited for our first black president and hoped for more diversity in the WH in the future (ha!). I’ve learned more about racism/racist ideals over the years through friends and articles. But the ones I learned about weren’t the ones I had. So on I went. In 2009, I moved back to my childhood home in Florida with my husband and newborn. 🧵 5/11
(DIR) Post #AX6cW9TAM8szi0TuPw by kataklysm@gaygeek.social
2023-06-25T20:15:23Z
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We lived at my parents’ home for two years while we got on our feet. This is when I finally noticed just how white that area was. I noticed how closed off it seemed. I overheard subtly racist comments while out in public. I was astounded. I was sickened. In 2011, we bought our home in a different and more diverse area of town. I felt at home. 2012 into 2013, Trayvon Martin’s murder was on the news, along with Zimmerman’s acquittal. I was furious.🧵 6/11
(DIR) Post #AX6cWALP6UGsQDrDxQ by ArdainianRight@detroitriotcity.com
2023-06-27T04:41:54.245141Z
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@kataklysm Trayvon jumped Zimmermann and pounded his head into the pavement. Faggots who simp for criminal scum are the ones who caused our cities to become uninhabitable shitholes. Maybe blacks' problems have something to do with the fact that they commit too much crime?
(DIR) Post #AX6cWAbM9B21DhJxp2 by kataklysm@gaygeek.social
2023-06-25T20:15:23Z
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Furious a boy died, was murdered, for no reason aside from he was black. And then his killer claimed self defense?! That anger settled in to my soul and spurred me on. Still does.2016 is when I really started paying attention. Trump was a threat and I knew it. I knew he was going to make bigotry in this country worse, especially racism. I started trying to learn more about politics, our system, and the effects of racism. 2020 blew the door open.🧵 7/11
(DIR) Post #AX6cWC2KoMCpfex1Vo by kataklysm@gaygeek.social
2023-06-25T20:15:24Z
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George Floyd, may he RIP, was my catalyst to finally do something, as he was for many white people. Watching that 8 minutes and 46 seconds was hard, almost unbearable. But I watched. If he could be put through that, the least I could do is witness and tell others. I became a believer in ACAB. I started protesting and getting involved with activist communities. I started researching. And researching. And researching.🧵 8/11
(DIR) Post #AX6cWD6cptESzFxxq4 by kataklysm@gaygeek.social
2023-06-25T20:15:24Z
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Learning about systemic racism, the causes, the history, the possible solutions. I learned the statistics. And I learned about microaggressions. This was a shock to my system bc *I did those things*. Not out of malice, but bc I was taught they were “nice.” So I learned more about microaggressions and made an active effort to avoid them. And at this point, I started to look inward. I examined why I held these ideals, where I learned them, why they started, and so on. 🧵 9/11
(DIR) Post #AX6cWE5FCVio1GKNKC by kataklysm@gaygeek.social
2023-06-25T20:15:25Z
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It’s now 2023 and I’m still learning. I’ve barely scratched the surface of the history and effects of systemic racism and other bigotry. I will continue to learn for the rest of my life. And I will continue to tell others what I’ve learned. All of this was to say: white folks, you can change and you can do better.🧵 10/11
(DIR) Post #AX6cWFLaVEOBwEywRE by kataklysm@gaygeek.social
2023-06-25T20:15:25Z
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Admitting how white folks have treated others isn’t taking the blame, it’s acknowledging history. Admitting that you have some biased beliefs isn’t a moral failing, it’s the first step to growth. Standing up to other white folks about being racist or bigoted is not white knighting or pick me, it’s taking a stand against hate. 🧵 11/11
(DIR) Post #AX6cWGN2hJ9B72fcLQ by kataklysm@gaygeek.social
2023-06-25T20:16:13Z
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Sorry for the massive thread. This has been on my mind a lot lately and I needed to get it out.#AntiRacist #AntiRacism #LearningAsIGo #equality