This is a little memo to white folks who feel the need to tell people--particularly Black people doing the actual work on this--that "defund" is not a good or persuasive or etc. slogan:

Let those who are most impacted by an issue lead.

1/x

Consider that those who have been doing this work--deep work, hard, often unrewarding work, for years and years--have thought about the questions that you're raising, and have come to the conclusions that they have for actual, well-thought out reasons.

Consider that the people who have been doing this work have thought through this matter thoroughly.

Consider that your opinion was not consulted! Nobody asked. Consider that you are not, today, a target demographic. Consider that you are not the center, here.

Consider how divisive the phrase "Black Lives Matter" was, even just a few years ago--if you need to, the Internet can pull up articles from all the way back to 2014-2015 to remind you. And now, people get what it means, it's painted on streets, corporations use it for cred.

Consider that in another 5 years everybody might get what "defund" is meant to mean, what it does stand for, and things that seem "alienating" or "controversial" to you might feel natural or obvious to you and others.

Consider that yes, even if there are Black people who disagree with defund as the catchphrase, that that can be an intra-communal conversation among, again, those who are most impacted, and your voice is not necessary in that conversation. As someone who is...not most impacted.

Remember that white people telling Black people how they should fight for their own safety is paternalistic and communicates that you don't think that the community that does not know what's best for them. Which is... part of how white supremacy functions! Don't do it.

Again: This can be an intra-communal conversation! What if we let people most impacted by the issue have that conversation *with each other* and trust that our voices are not required! https://twitter.com/ShuaMyers/status/1334881911680995331?s=20

Think what you want, for sure, but telling people that they're fighting for their freedom and safety wrong is not a good look.

I am going to stand by this.

And yes, it's a broad principle: Let the people most impacted lead.

Listen to Jews about antisemitism.
Listen to trans people about transphobia.
Listen to disabled people about ableism.

And YES there are going to be differing opinions in EVERY community. BUT +

That doesn't mean when a Jew is talking about how to fight antisemitism a non-Jew should go in and "well actually..." them.

Do you see it now? This is my point.

If you are a white person and you care about ending police violence, call your senators and reps and state and local politicians and tell them that.

Donate to groups doing the work.

Be useful!

You don't need to spend your time on Twitter filling up the mentions of Black activists who are busy trying to educate and move people. They have heard your concerns, trust.

And since I know a lot of you won't listen to me, I'll share the words of a Black activist who was considered very controversial in his day and who now has widespread white moderate approval:

Dr. King, Letter from a Birmingham Jail:

"I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate..."

"...who is more devoted to "order" than to justice...who constantly says: "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods..." who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom..."

"who...who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a "more convenient season." Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection."