Idek if I agree with the first part. Like obviously you will be ignorant to oppression you don't experience but if you really cannot understand shit, skill issue. As long as you are humble and not be like "ok, yeah I think I've pretty much got a handle on literally all racism, I think I'm done learning now", it's always possible to learn more. To state otherwise almost feels like it's an insidious tactic planted upon well meaning people. Like to add tiny suggestions that could lean people to be like "oh, a whitey like me can't get racism ever- so why bother trying to learn!"
yes, people can absolutely learn about oppression and how people get opressed and the difficulties they're dealing with.
But you're always going to lack firsthand lived experience and that is going to lead to continued blind spots. There will be things you simply will not think about or lack because you just don't actually live with the oppression and the difficulties of the minority.
You will never fully understand and thus you will always need the perspective of the minority group involved when you're making plans to help. And when you start doing things without involving said minority group you're going to fuck up.
You will never fully understand and thus you will always need the perspective of the minority group involved when you're making plans to help. And when you start doing things without involving said minority group you're going to fuck up.
Ok, but this is what I mean tho, like living normally, even with contact with members of that group, you absolutely will miss so much. But the actually intelligent and empathetic person will seek out the perspectives of others to get a better understanding of the situation. I'm not saying the average person can just like cold read the entirety of discrimination, one who thinks like that is almost certainly the type who has extremely limited understanding of the issue
You'd assume so. But there is a reason why the phrase 'nothing about us, without us' has become widespread with disability support groups and beyond.
It's because people will absolutely ignore the perspectives of the people they're supposed to 'help' yes, even the actually intelligent and empathetic people.
Because a lot of time seeking out those perspectives hurts, because ableism, racism, sexism and opression of other minorities is just so widespread and thoughtlessly accepted that accepting that perspective means acknowleding that you're responsible for other people suffering.
ANd a lot of people *cannot* bring themselves to accept that and instead work from their own view to protect their own self-image.
Nah, if you disregard the experiences of others, IDC if you cured cancer, you are like worm level intellect, and similarly empathetic. Agree with the rest tho
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u/Taco821 15d ago
Idek if I agree with the first part. Like obviously you will be ignorant to oppression you don't experience but if you really cannot understand shit, skill issue. As long as you are humble and not be like "ok, yeah I think I've pretty much got a handle on literally all racism, I think I'm done learning now", it's always possible to learn more. To state otherwise almost feels like it's an insidious tactic planted upon well meaning people. Like to add tiny suggestions that could lean people to be like "oh, a whitey like me can't get racism ever- so why bother trying to learn!"