I was talking to a couple white friends about the tiny ways white supremacy snakes its way into normalcy and I realized how invisible some of it has become to nonblack people. Tiny ways we're dehumanized daily. So I wanted to do a quick thread about a few examples.
"Flesh tone" tights.
I was six and in ballet when I first heard this term. I had to buy flesh tone tights as part of the supplies to take a dance class. Flesh tone tights are not the color of my flesh. This assumption of white as the default is white supremacy.
I was six and in ballet when I first heard this term. I had to buy flesh tone tights as part of the supplies to take a dance class. Flesh tone tights are not the color of my flesh. This assumption of white as the default is white supremacy.
Bandaids.
They're beige. I didn't know they were supposed to blend in with skin until the first time I gave a bandaid to a white friend with a blister. She put it on and it fucking disappeared. White supremacy y'all.
They're beige. I didn't know they were supposed to blend in with skin until the first time I gave a bandaid to a white friend with a blister. She put it on and it fucking disappeared. White supremacy y'all.
Hair products.
There are now lots of lines that exist just for the variety of textures of black people's hair. But for a long time, there just wasn't. I remember asking about a moisturizing shampoo in a Target once and being led to the aisle with relaxers.
There are now lots of lines that exist just for the variety of textures of black people's hair. But for a long time, there just wasn't. I remember asking about a moisturizing shampoo in a Target once and being led to the aisle with relaxers.
For so long we were *expected* to make our hair straight, and even now natural styles aren't universally accepted.
Think about that. The way my hair grows OUT OF MY SCALP is not okay for some people/companies/organizations.
Think about that. The way my hair grows OUT OF MY SCALP is not okay for some people/companies/organizations.
Makeup.
Yesterday, YESTERDAY, I googled a round-up of the 'best foundations for dark skin.' Because not all brands make makeup for me. Do you know how dehumanizing it is to not easily be able to find products for your literal skin?
Yesterday, YESTERDAY, I googled a round-up of the 'best foundations for dark skin.' Because not all brands make makeup for me. Do you know how dehumanizing it is to not easily be able to find products for your literal skin?
Colored contacts.
Largely marketed to people of color.
Why? Blue/Green/Hazel eyes are seen as more beautiful.
Why? You guessed it: White supremacy.
Largely marketed to people of color.
Why? Blue/Green/Hazel eyes are seen as more beautiful.
Why? You guessed it: White supremacy.
Ways of speaking.
AAVE isn't "proper English" even though it has linguistic rules. A person isn't "articulate" unless they're speaking in a very specific way, even if you understand every word they're saying.
AAVE isn't "proper English" even though it has linguistic rules. A person isn't "articulate" unless they're speaking in a very specific way, even if you understand every word they're saying.
If I was paid every time someone asked me if I went to private school bc of the way I talk...
And yes, these are all tiny things. But it's the tiny shit we miss, and start ignoring, and start internalizing as normal that gets us. We start to think, of course hair looks better straight. Of course light-colored eyes are more striking. Or worse, we don't notice at all.
White slowly becomes the default in our heads. So we don't notice that things labeled "flesh" doesn't match everyone's flesh. We don't notice that certain physical traits being valued over others is arbitrary as fuck. We don't see how people assign worthiness based on bullshit.
White supremacy is baked into the fabric of society. And it quietly dehumanizes nonwhite (and especially black) people every day. Want to know why we're so scared? So angry at macro-aggressions like economic inequality and the school to jail pipeline and Karens calling the cops?
Look at the micro-aggressions all around you telling us we don't matter every goddamn day.
Look at a fucking Bandaid.
Look at a fucking Bandaid.
Well this blew up. If you want to be an ally:
-Don't ask black/brown people what you can do, look shit up yourself.
-Call out your fellow white people.
-Donate to organizations that fight white supremacy & benefit black/brown bodies if you can.
-Read work by marginalized writers.
-Don't ask black/brown people what you can do, look shit up yourself.
-Call out your fellow white people.
-Donate to organizations that fight white supremacy & benefit black/brown bodies if you can.
-Read work by marginalized writers.
