If…You in anyway rationalize the murders of Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Mariam Carey, Aianna Jones, Rekia Boyd, Yvette Smith, or any other black person who was murdered by state sanctioned police violence. Or you let your family members do it without calling them out.
If…You don’t have any meaningful relationship with a black person.
If…You think the Black Panthers were national terrorists.
If…You hear the slur “welfare queen” and imagine a black woman.
If…You think the problem with this country is welfare queens getting pregnant just to steal more of your tax dollars.
If…You imagine a One God, gendered male, and colored White.
If…Your idea of beauty and excellence in people, art, music, film, literature etc. is rooted in Eurocentricity.
If…You think the disproportionate number of black people in US prisons is due to Black criminality.
If…You secretly think Black people should “just quit their whining and pull themselves up by the bootstrap” while refusing to realize that this White Supremacist-Capitalist-Patriarchal system grants you innumerable privileges in every part of your life.
If…If you refuse to use these privileges to work to break down the White Supremacist-Capitalist-Patriarchal system that is so hostile to Black life.
Love this! Though to be honest there were a few of these I wasn’t as proficient in as I should have been before adopting black children. So glad for information like this to remind me how important these things are.
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Hi Erin,
Glad you loved this post. Me too, although I’m not black.
I was wondering how you use your “privileges to work to break down the White Supremacist-Capitalist-Patriarchal system that is so hostile to Black life”. Could you elaborate what steps/actions you take?
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Put a girl on the spot huh? I’d be happy to chat with you more about what I do. Just send me a message as it’s a bit long for a comment 🙂
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Though I must admit I am by no means perfect and always looking for more ideas.
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Hi Erin,
Appreciate your replying.
If you’re going to comment to me, you might as well comment publicly about how you use your privilege. It might give others ideas.
And you’re not used to being put on the spot?
Well, welcome to the club you chose to create. As transracial adoptees, we’re CONSTANTLY put on the spot for just that – being a transracial adoptee. As transracial adoptees, we’re often asked/expected to help clueless PAPs adopt or help APs with the children they’ve already adopted. If we don’t give them support/assistance, despite just not being in the mood to jump when others tell us to, too often, we’re labeled, judged, or insulted. So, I hope you’re not complaining as a person of privilege that you’re a bit uncomfortable.
And yes, again, tell us how you’re using your place of privilege to make this world a more just, fair, equitable, and safe place for those who risk their lives by merely existing.
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Thank you for asking this question. I would like to know the answer too. We would all like to know. And I agree that Erin’s answer should be posted publicly.
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Such a great article! Thank you for taking the time to help ya become better parents to our black children! I appreciate it immensely.
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I have the same question for you too, Lucy.
How do you use your “privileges to work to break down the White Supremacist-Capitalist-Patriarchal system that is so hostile to Black life”?
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This is completely on point and should be a must read for prospective APs.
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Do you have a twitter account? Couldn’t find it. It is so easy to disseminate your work @frank_ligtvoet
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Hi Frank, Truth Out! does not have a twitter presence but if you would tweet our articles we would be eternally grateful 🙂
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Interesting article and I have to say – that picture just cracked me up! My kids are Chinese so I can relate to this in many ways. Thanks for joining the #AdoptionTalk linkup!
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You inspired the Asian adoptee community: http://www.thelostdaughters.com/2015/02/you-are-not-ready-to-adopt-asian-child.html?m=1
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Reblogged this on The Life Of Von and commented:
You shouldn’t if….what more is there to say?
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