Thread by @mlothianmclean

I get people are trying to "raise awareness" but flattening the deaths of many people of colour into one singular narrative feels off.

Yes, there is a clear issue with how racism impacts the investigation of a case. Yes, some victims will get more airtime and traction. But I'm seeing people spread misinformation and make false equivalences between cases that feels... disrespectful.

There's a tension also in the fact that some of the names I'm seeing being wielded now as part of this narrative were widely reported stories at the time, across mainstream media.

I had a nb POC yesterday DM and ask if I could share their Instagram post on the death of a young Black woman, which contained both misinformation and speculation AND confessed they'd only heard about the story that day. This feels wrong.

I had followed the particular tragedy since it was first reported. Why was there the assumption that not everyone reads the news or picks up on these stories? Why was there false information in the post? Why was I being asked to share someone's social media post? For clout?

Seeing people compile threads on the deaths of WoC they've hastily Googled... it just doesn't sit right! Yet it's a difficult conversation because at the same time, there is obviously a racial disparity in the way certain cases are treated. But that shouldn't invite reductionism.

The comfort of having a set, clear narrative is obvious but we can acknowledge differences in specific cases while still speaking to the bigger picture. Do people do their own reading and research to understand the elements of a case? Or do they just tweet?

It speaks a bit to the memefication of the death of Breonna Taylor I think... These people deserve respect in death and more than being hastily folded into a cut and dried 'case study' for threads.