Thread by @EdwinLindo

I'd like to chime in on @JAMA_current podcast (below) re Systemic Racism w/o individuals (particularly white folks) contributing to Racism & how we shouldn't use "Racism" when talking about Racism because it creates negative feelings for white folks.
1/
edhub.ama-assn.org/jn-learning/au…

2/ As someone who has spent years organizing on the ground against deeply rooted forms of Racism, like Gentrification and Displacement, Police Violence, Economic Injustice, and now against Health Inequities -- my work does not just sit in the Theory, it sits in the Praxis.

3/ The Praxis being the place where our knowledge and understanding is tested by the actuality of oppressive conditions - racism, poverty, etc. When you listen to these two White men speaking, you realizing quickly how harmful it is when those that don't grasp the Theory of...

4/ Justice, and certainly have never applied those theory in solidarity for the most marginalized in any meaningful way to move towards a Praxis. We're left with one guy who clearly never took the time to read any book published in the last year about Racism, (@IjeomaOluo has ...

5/ a couple of books as a good start); and then there's the other guy who believes they are an expert in understanding race and dismantling racism because they read a book and talked about it over dinner with family.

6/ As you can already tell, I'm not going to respond to the details of the content because it's intellectually lazy and it doesn't actually deserve any of our time. What does deserve our time is being clear on what this means and the affect it has.

7/ There will always be those that are appalled and surprised at Whiteness's ability further Racism's agenda, and placate to it's own White Brittleness (I don't use the term White Fragility any more because it implies a tenderness that doesn't describe the reality..

8/ I've decided to use my own term that better explains the phenomenon (it may have been used elsewhere, but I haven't found it) WHITE BRITTLENESS: The act of Whiteness breaking into pieces in front BIPOC folks when Racism is called out..

9/ Leaving BIPOC folks responsible for picking up the pieces; taking all of our time and emotional capacity even when we didn't consent to do so. So yes, White folks are Brittle when Racism is called into question. And this podcast was Racial Gaslighting 101 so the Brittleness..

10/ Could continue. But Let me move on to the larger point I want to make. WHY ARE WE SO SURPRISED? I listened to all 15+ minutes of the podcast and I sat there the opposite of surprised. They sounded like two white men talking about race in the way many White folks do..

11/ "I believe".. "I think"... -- Let me be clear, when we discuss Racism, it is not and should never be about how White folks perceive, believe, or think about Racism affecting Racialized communities. If you're going to talk about Racism, in an adequate and intentional way...

12/ Then do some homework and catch up to the years of work, study, research, and organizing that many of us have done. I have to say this all the time in my talks, "I'm not here to talk about your opinions of Racism" -- I'm here to talk about the Facts and Science of Racism..

13/ because to do anything else is absurd. One better, just bring the experts in themselves (folks from the community or folks who have done the work). So back to the point of being surprised, in 15 mins, they garnered the attention of thousands of BIPOC folks to tell them how...

14/ it was wrong and is disgraceful. And it is. But they literally stole our time, attention, and energy from something else we could have been doing to build our communities and uplift our folks. It's tough, for sure. They deserve to be told how terrible this is and that...

15/ they should do better. But is it really a surprise? We know this is how many folks think. I want action. How about, for every time white institutions, or individuals in those institutions show their colors, we focus efforts on uplifting and building power in our communities.

16 I say this, because sister @sistaelaine Elaine Brown said boldly and clearly during a one-on-one convo, Let's stop giving all of our energy to reacting to White folks. Let's Spend that energy building our people up! I don't have all the answers how, but it hit me like..

17/ like a bag of bricks. Damn, my energy and time is being stolen from me, when I could be building in and with my community. I don't have all the answers, but this is a guiding principle for how I do my work and how I move. Yes, let's call it what it is, but let's also find..

18/ ways to not let them take our energy that should be reserved for building power in our communities.

In solidarity,
EGL

END. Longest tweet thread I've ever written, but felt the call. Love our community!