Thread by @Gardeners4Pete

Thread: Alright #TeamPete, it’s time to talk about how we talk about racism. As @PeteButtigieg has said, white people need to have these conversations about ending racism with other white people. Please retweet. 1/

I’m a white lady and I humbly offer-up some things I’ve learned about how to talk about race and racism. There have been discussions lately about how the campaign should address race issues and welcome people of color (PoC) to hear more about Pete. 2/

Some Pete supporters have taken the criticism personally and gone to the campaign’s defense. It’s understandable to want to defend your favorite candidate from what you perceive as unfair criticism. 3/

However, racism is complicated and runs deep. White people have work to do in order to engage in these discussions in a productive manner. So here goes: 4/

1. The most important thing is to listen. Really listen. Don’t think about the next thing you’re going to say. Just listen. 5/

2. If you do engage in conversation, try repeating back what you hear to be sure that you understand. Say “I really want to understand what you’re saying. Is this right?”
3. Be humble. If you’re white, you literally have never experienced certain things that PoC have. See #1. 6/

4. This isn’t about you. Center the marginalized person, not yourself. See #3. 7/

5. Be respectful. Be aware of the emotional labor PoC endure having these discussions. This is painful stuff. Respectfully ask “I would like to understand this better. Would you be willing to have this conversation w/ me? It’s okay to say no and to bow out at any time.” 8/

6. Don’t police tone/emotion. If someone is really upset and it’s too much for you to handle right now, just say something like “Thank you for sharing this with me. I really appreciate it. This is a lot for me to take in and I need some time to think about it.” 9/

Then take a step back. Understand that people get emotional because these are life and death issues. Racism is deeply unfair; it’s totally understandable that a PoC may be frustrated and angry about it. 10/

7. Don’t police word choice. It’s okay to ask for clarification, but understand that white people have been able to talk about race & racism openly for a long time. PoC haven’t. Imperfect words do not erode the substance. Try to understand that substance. 11/

8. Be not afraid. You don’t need to be perfect. You may inadvertently say things that are hurtful. But if you are approaching these conversations with humility and grace, people will generally be understanding if you step in it. 12/

9. Apologize. Even if you don’t think something is your fault. What do we say when someone’s family member died? “I’m so sorry.” We say it as a way to show that we recognize the person’s pain. If something is your fault, definitely apologize. 13/

10. Don’t tag people of color into threads with trolls unless they’ve specifically asked you to. Pulling people into those discussions is asking them to give their time and emotional energy, and may open them up to harassment. 14/

11. Do the work. Google, read, watch movies, and listen to podcasts to better understand the history of race in the US. I’ve included resources below. 15/

12. Ask a “woke” white friend for feedback. We need to shoulder this burden and do the work to get better. Feel free to DM me.
13. Be patient. If this stuff was easy it would have been fixed already. 16/

14. Have hope. This stuff is hard. It’s like peeling an onion: you strip off a layer and there’s another one. But have hope that we can get better. Racism was created by humans. I believe we can unmake it. Put your shoulder to the wheel and help with this work. 17/

15. Take inspiration from the campaign:
-Re-read the Rules of The Road. They aren’t just for easy conversations, they’re also (and especially) for tough conversations. go.peteforamerica.com/rules-of-the-r… 18/

-Read Pete’s Douglass Plan and really try to take it in. It contains a lot of information about systematic racism and what to do about it. peteforamerica.com/douglass-plan/
-Notice how @PeteButtigieg, @Chas10Buttigieg and the campaign react to things. Follow their lead. 19/

Here in no particular order and off the top of my head here are some resources to check-out:
-The Root: theroot.com
-@deray
-@samswey
-@MsPackyetti
-Their excellent @PodSaveThePpl podcast 20/

-The NYTimes 1619 Project. Print: pulitzercenter.org/sites/default/…
Podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/int… (or wherever you get your podcasts)
-August 20 episode of Fresh Air, which describes what was the accepted science on race, and how that BS still affects us. npr.org/2019/08/20/752… 21/

-The History of White People: nellpainter.com/publications/b…
-White Privilege: Unpacking The Invisible Backpack: interpretereducation.org/wp-content/upl…
-So You Want to Talk About Race: goodreads.com/book/show/3509…

Feel free to add your recommendations and thoughts below. 22/22

Another excellent book:

https://twitter.com/normamariaq/status/1164331995645788160?s=21

Yes! Ta-Nehisi Coates is such a great author.

https://twitter.com/soocforpete/status/1164337208389591040?s=21

His interview on On Being is also excellent: onbeing.org/programs/ta-ne…

How to Be An Antiracist: npr.org/2019/08/15/751…

https://twitter.com/mermaidavenues/status/1164355410838642689?s=21

-Why We Can’t Wait, by Martin Luther King, Jr. (aka Letter From A Birmingham Jail) goodreads.com/book/show/1609…
-Jay-Z Decoded: goodreads.com/book/show/8425…
-John Lewis, Walking With The Wind: goodreads.com/book/show/2755…

-The Color of Law: A Forgotten History If How Our Government Segregated America: goodreads.com/book/show/3219…
-White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide: goodreads.com/book/show/2607…

-Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America (Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg recommended this at a talk of hers that I attended): goodreads.com/book/show/1342…

-Dog Whistle Politics: How Coded Racial Appeals Have Reinvented Racism & Wrecked The Middle Class: goodreads.com/book/show/1784…

Check-out:
-@jbouie
-@ClintSmithIII
-@nhannahjones
-@JamilSmith
-@WesleyLowery
-@jelani9

Another great suggestion: March graphic novel by John Lewis. goodreads.com/book/show/1734…

https://twitter.com/melissawiebe/status/1164421661304619008?s=21

This is a great thread from @Med4Pete

https://twitter.com/med4pete/status/1164419770222927873?s=21

Another great resource:

https://twitter.com/bayareaforpete/status/1164553516150448128?s=21

Great article:

https://twitter.com/pauleygay/status/1162112599946776577?s=21