Thread by @OnElectionDay

Life ‘seemed’ easier when I was with my white people.

Inequitable treatment continued.🙈🙉🙊
Homelessness continued.🙈🙉🙊
Black people were being brutalized & killed by the State.
Injustice continued.🙈🙉🙊
Mediocrity maintained the status quo.🤷🏼‍♂️🤷🏼‍♀️
Wilful oblivion

White privilege allows wilful oblivion.

I never understood this wilful oblivion when I was with my white people.

My white people were my family, including literal actual family.

…

I questioned, “Was it this wilful oblivion that allowed:

👉🏿 over 400 years of slavery
👉🏿116 yrs of residential schools
👉🏿48 yrs of apartheid
👉🏿35 yrs of the Chinese Head Tax
👉🏿5 years of Auschwitz
👉🏿our current gov’t
👉🏿indifference”

#TOpoli #TORONTO #ElectionTO
…

Based on my firsthand interconnected experience, I can say I know white people. The patterns are too similar for the things I have learned to not be “a white people thing”. I have been studying white people for some time.

Even white people know this about themselves.
#TOpoli

When white people are confronted &/or called out, responses include acts of
👉🏿retaliation
👉🏿vindictiveness
👉🏿agression
👉🏿blame
👉🏿targeting
👉🏿violence
👉🏿bullying
👉🏿intimidation
👉🏿deflection
👉🏿whataboutisms
👉🏿retreat
👉🏿ostrichism
#TOpoli #TORONTO #ElectionTO

Most white people don’t like to come to themselves.

White supremacy, white privilege, relinquishing or sharing power is not easy for many white people.

Many white people have been used to unjustifiably being the default in society, expectantly expecting to have things go their way, in their time as they say.

#TOpoli #TORONTO

My learned friends say that:

“The white people [I] challenge are afraid of [my] authority & confidence; they’re not sure what to do when I hold them to account for their actions/inaction; when they retaliate &/or act aggressively towards me...

#TOpoli #TORONTO #ElectionTO

…[I] never back down with the expectation that they should do the right thing; [my] response confuses them.”

I would ask, “What are white people afraid of?”

I never understood this oddity before, but it has become more evident to me.

…

People don’t like to be called out. Continuing to do the wrong thing seems easier for some white people to do than to admit, correct themselves and their actions and to DO better!

Why does it take some white people so long just to admit, correct themselves, do right by people?

I am learning that my power, persistence, intelligence, integrity, forthrightness, fortitude, gumption, skin colour and more challenges many white peoples’ ‘right’ of dominance. power. greed.

#TOpoli #TORONTO #ElectionTO
…

It appears that I especially confound many white people because I am Black. a woman. a Black woman with disabilities& I call out nonsense expecting solutions. It’s as if I cannot, should not, am not expected to be a Leader & smart when you full well know I am a Leader & smart!

My place is in the Leadership chair with Community.

Of course, you as the white voting majority population of Toronto will decide who we choose to represent us, who we choose to inspire us who we choose to ensure that we all have the ability to live & thrive.

Choice is yours.

This is a 1st past the post election.

Even though we could, we still haven’t decided to use proportional representation strategies on our ballots. You know why.

The majority of TORONTO’s population are PoC many of whom are ineligible to vote so our voice remains in your vote
…

Whether we, PoC, get to be represented and heard, continues to remain in your vote white sisters & brothers.

Many white people will allow their hands to pale to keep grasp of power.

No matter the absence/loss of colour, joie de vive and/or vitality the grasp of power is more important.
More important than life.

#TOpoli #TORONTO #ElectionTO

Many white people will read this thread or some portions of it and maybe ‘like’ a few things and move on.

Yet, why wouldn’t you retweet if you agreed with what was said?

A retweet speak to the connections on your own twitter account & alerts them to a perspective not used to.

Retweeting may even say that you agree.

Most white people are awkward about confronting, challenging, admitting the things they know, experienced and have witnessed concerning privilege and white supremacy.

…

For many of the aforementioned reasons, many white people will not come to themselves.

…

Even still, we will love the white people who do not choose to come to themselves.

We will continue to be examples of love. We will continue to share, welcome, help. We will continue...

#TOpoli #TORONTO #ElectionTO

Most of my white people now, get it;
these white people aren’t wilfully oblivious to white privilege & the machinations of white supremacy deeply rooted in behaviours, reactions, institutions, policies, procedures, practices, attitudes, thoughts, action/inaction

#TOpoli #TORONTO

My white people now, including literal actual family, are fam.

They’re with us on the front lines confronting & calling out to end:
👉🏿white supremacy
👉🏿white privilege
👉🏿white mediocrity
👉🏿racism
👉🏿injustice
👉🏿misogynoir
👉🏿misogyny
👉🏿inequity
👉🏿status quo
👉🏿+

Some people may be surprised that this TORONTO Mayoral Candidate is speaking plainly about what we all know to be true.

This is exactly what we need- truth to be confronted so that we can effect #CommunityWellness!

Respecting, honouring, empowering

#TOpoli #TORONTO #ElectionTO

#CommunityWellness ensures #inclusion which includes: #equity, #accessibility, opportunities & more so we all can live & thrive!

Vote D!ONNE Renée on Election Day for Mayor of TORONTO!
#TOpoli #TORONTO #ElectionTO

Outcomes of #CommunityWellness include:
👉🏿a healthy society
👉🏿a wealth of opportunities
👉🏿the ability to just be
👉🏿equanimity
👉🏿an engaged citizenry
👉🏿initiative
👉🏿inclusive mindsets
👉🏿a thriving society
👉🏿a thriving economy full of innovation, creativity, LOVE!

Don’t believe me about the outcomes of ensuring #CommunityWellness?

Look back & note some improvements in #Toronto but not the ones necessary that ensures that we all have the ability to live & thrive!

“Change is slow” for people who choose to do things slowly.

#TOpoli

Wonder why it’s taken Torontonians so long to get to where we can & should be?

Think about the decision makers we keep putting into office. Some are absolutely amazing, but you need a majority of amazing folks elected to office to get things done to benefit society.

#TOpoli

Vote D!ONNE Renée on Election Day for Mayor of TORONTO to ensure that we all have the ability to live & thrive!

#CommunityWellness #inclusion #TOpoli #TORONTO #ElectionTO #OurTorontoToo #OurCityHallToo #OurCityHall

Have you ever thought about the irony in our TORONTO motto “Diversity Our Strength” when:

4 out of 44 Council Members Elected in 2014 are PoC
and 13 out of 44 Elected in 2014 are women?

Vote D!ONNE Renée on Election Day for Mayor of Toronto!

#TOpoli #TORONTO #ElectionTO

Here’s how we will get to where we need to be:

White people must stop expecting to be the default.
White people must stop choosing each as the default.
Default is never a solution.

…

White people must bring themselves to get to know who the PoC Candidates in this election are.

Media won’t help you so you have to make efforts.
Candidates are making efforts without the aid of media.

We are.here.

We’re in service to you and all Torontonians.

White people must stop talking about “equal rights” and start acting on equity principles & practices.

Act on what you say!

Let your actions translate into the outcomes we all want.

White people must stop pretending to be with us if you’re not with us and start being with us if you ARE with us- start translating your words into actions publicly!

We know where white supremacists stand they’re public about their position.

Your impact should be greater right?

Let other white folks know that you believe in Black leadership, that you believe that Black & other PoC Candidates may have better solutions for a better #TORONTO if given the chance to implement necessary actions to ensure that we all have the ability to live & thrive!

#TOpoli

My white people say they’re for me📣.

In fact, most white people say they’re for everything I’m saying, doing & am about...yet, somehow, the words of white people being the majority voting population (particularly white women) don’t seem to translate into their votes & actions

The outcome of this 2018 TORONTO Election is what we’ll live with for the next 4 years.

Are we wanting to go into it quietly, passively, timidly?

Think of the type of leadership we want and need for Toronto- the type of leadership that has Toronto’s back 100% no matter what!

Many white people have become masters at repeating behaviours that maintain the status quo &, in various ways, co-signing white supremacy while claiming to be progressive.

Stop this sophistry.

Do better.

Vote D!ONNE Renée on Election Day for Mayor!
#TOpoli #TORONTO #ElectionTO

Some people may be surprised that this TORONTO Mayoral Candidate is speaking plainly about what we all know to be true.

#TOpoli #TORONTO #ElectionTO

This is exactly what we need- if you truly believe that there was something inaccurate about what I stated in this thread please feel free to correct me with facts. I’m not above correction.

#CommunityWellness!

Respecting, honouring, empowering

#TOpoli #TORONTO #ElectionTO

#CommunityWellness ensures #inclusion which includes: #equity, #accessibility, #empowerment, opportunities, engagement, genuine care & more so we all can live & thrive!

As Community we acknowledge needs & go from there.

Vote D!ONNE Renée on Election Day for Mayor of TORONTO!

Outcomes of #CommunityWellness include:
👉🏿a healthy society
👉🏿a wealth of opportunities
👉🏿the ability to just be
👉🏿equanimity
👉🏿an engaged citizenry
👉🏿initiative
👉🏿inclusive mindsets
👉🏿a thriving society
👉🏿a thriving economy full of innovation, creativity, LOVE