Trying something here. Been thinking a lot about my role/responsibility in the #socialinnovation sector lately and one of the things that always plagues me when I talk about my experiences is that, I had never truly felt racialized until I was in social innovation spaces. (1/9)
Here's an example, that time when I was at a social innovation conference and during the morning icebreaker at a table of 8 other folks, I was the only POC - a white woman said to us, that her white sons are often the #visibleminorities in a room. (2/9)
I was dumbfounded. I had to pause and swallow my anger. I calmly explained that she misunderstands the term #visibleminorities - while her white sons might "visibly" be the only white folks in the room, they still get to leave that room as white males. (3/9)
After that the group had a fruitful conversation about privilege and power in #socialinnovation and we arrived at a shared newspaper heading of the future, we posed the question "Is social innovation upholding systems that are harmful?". (4/9)
As the only POC at the table and probably 10% at the conference, I said I wasn't comfortable sharing that with the larger group. So the white woman with "visible minority" white sons volunteered. (5/9)
At this time, I witnessed/experienced what it feels like when white privilege shows up. She took the conversation we had all contributed to and put it in her own words - she NEVER read the one line we all put as the agreed newspaper heading. (6/9)
No one said anything. I didn't say anything. I felt small and powerless. Later, I talked to someone else at the table who did acknowledge that it was weird and expressed that they were offended too. But that was it. No accountability was taken. (7/9)
This was almost 3 years ago and this is not the only time this has happened to me. I have dozens of these examples. I am putting this out here today, because I would like to create a conversation about this. (8/9)
This is very scary for me to write and to share. I do this often in small trusted circles. But it is time that I am brave and I take responsibility in what I can do better. (9/9)
No one said anything. I didn't say anything. I felt small and powerless. Later, I talked to someone else at the table who did acknowledge that it was weird and expressed that they were offended too. But that was it. No accountability was taken. (7/9)
This was almost 3 years ago and this is not the only time this has happened to me. I have dozens of these examples. I am putting this out here today, because I would like to create a conversation about this. (8/9)
This is very scary for me to write and to share. I do this often in small trusted circles. But it is time that I am brave and I take responsibility in what I can do better. (9/9)
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