Read on Twitter
A note for white people:
It is normal to have anxiety about your own — often unintentional — participation in systemic racism, or to be afraid you will cause harm without meaning to.
It is *harmful* to burden Black people and other POC with those anxieties.
It is normal to have anxiety about your own — often unintentional — participation in systemic racism, or to be afraid you will cause harm without meaning to.
It is *harmful* to burden Black people and other POC with those anxieties.
If you need reassurance that you’re not being racist, or someone to talk through your confusion and concerns, *do not go to your Black and POC friends*.
Some things you can do instead of turning to a Black person for reassurance:
- do more reading about systemic racism
- talk to your therapist
- talk to a trusted, thoughtful white friend
- learn to self soothe
- do more reading about systemic racism
- talk to your therapist
- talk to a trusted, thoughtful white friend
- learn to self soothe
I am not trying to be flip here, these are all serious suggestions from a white person with an anxiety disorder and a long history of trying to figure out how to be a better ally to my Black and POC friends (and definitely fucking up along the way).
I think it’s really important to figure out if your feelings are just anxiety or if they are rooted in actual ignorance/bias. For instance, one of my OCD obsessions was this fear that I was going to touch Black people’s hair even though I didn’t want to.
That was something that was best managed with therapy — it was OCD, so CBT helped make the anxiety go away.
Other times, I’ve been genuinely ignorant and needed to do some reading and educate myself.
Worth thinking about what your own issues might be!
Other times, I’ve been genuinely ignorant and needed to do some reading and educate myself.
Worth thinking about what your own issues might be!
Also, lastly: https://twitter.com/jpbgerald/status/1272918839232258048?s=21 https://twitter.com/jpbgerald/status/1272918839232258048
Just noticed this thread made some MAGA types big mad 
Kind of funny that something as basic as “hi, if you’re feeling anxious that your actions are going to harm someone, maybe don’t burden that person with a long monologue about your fears of harming them” pisses people off but oh well
