As a college professor, and having been raised as a girl, I think seriously about questions of what's often called "self-censorship." It's true that a kind of atmospheric oppression can create fear and result in people deciding to shut down. BUT a key factor behind that 1/x A key factor behind that kind of defensive shutting-down is the startled, frustrated feeling of being denied the privilege of speaking without consequence. White people feel this keenly. Men do. Middle-class people do. 2/x

I realized as a result of the #SurvivingRKelley conversations that this distinction might be useful for my fellow white people. I'm going to put it briefly, but questions are welcome if you need me to elaborate. 1/ Your personal blamelessness with regard to racism (and none of us are blameless, obvs, but let's assume as a thought experiment that you are) has nothing to do with your accountability to the world, and Black and brown people specifically, due to your membership in whiteness.