For no reason at all, I am reminded of some people who critiqued the initial opening of Witchmark.

More than one person told me to change my opening scene, where Miles (a white man, working as a doctor) and Robin (a black woman, working as a scrub nurse) have a smoke and a chat.

The critiquers told me to change it, because it was historically inaccurate-that black women couldn't *be* nurses in that time period. That a white man would never have a black woman as a friend. That a black woman would never be allowed to work at a hospital with white patients.

they knew this, readers. they knew it with such certainty that they didn't bother to double check when, in earth history, the first black woman actually accomplished this (1845.) they just popped off.

They had no idea they didn't actually know the truth. they just "knew."

And you know why, right?

Because they were educated in a white supremacist system that erased the accomplishments and realities of people who weren't white. They didn't have the least idea that they didn't know the truth.

almost all of us were taught this way.

even people who believe they are anti-racist had this education to deal with.

So it's easy to believe that you are not racist. that you have learned about racism, and you have embraced anti-racism, and you are an anti-racist ally

but it's floating on top of what you "know."

and so it's embarrassingly easy to screw up, and out comes the result of the racist system you learned in school, and believe that black women didn't become medical professionals until...later

or that 19th century afro-latinx people were prosperous and traveled the world

SO WHEN THAT HAPPENS, and someone takes the time-even though they're rightfully annoyed with you-to explain, with illustrated citations, exactly how you are incorrect, a decent anti-racist response begins with

"I'm sorry. I acted on racist assumptions of history. Thank you."

because look there is a LOT to learn and a lot to un-learn and while making the decision to be anti-racist is an important turning point in your life, it's not like being saved by Jesus. You have a hell of a lot of work to do to un-do what you don't even realize you internalized.

so when you fuck up and say something racist, and you are corrected by someone who took the time to take you to school, you apologize, thank them, and then you shut the heck up.

if you're embarrassed, if your angry, take that to your friends who will check you. privately.