I keep seeing radlibs decoupling mutual aid work from its other key intracommunal and radical praxis and educational aspects to just make it about charity and passing around the same $20 bucks and I think that’s a huge disservice and misunderstanding of the work of mutual aid Mutual aid is not just when you give people who need it some resources, though ofc that’s VERY key. It is building an intentional sustained networks to meet those immediate and urgent needs WHILE ALSO doing mobilizing, education and community connecting work in other ways

OK I have a story related to this response to this tweet

I was in line at coat check at the end of a show with my partner trying to get our stuff. Behind us was two young women of color, barely old enough to be there. They had gotten the gem, a setlist from the headlining band! A white man who had seen this happen at the end of the show or just noticed them with the setlist in hand approached them and asked about the setlist. They politely and excitedly relayed their experience. He then went to ask the name of the member that they got the setlist from.

I said this when Jessica Krug was exposed, I’ll say it again regarding all race fakers that continue to come out of the woodwork and claim Latinidad for their grift: If whiteness and colorism wasn’t so rampant and gifted in institutions we truly would not be here! We prioritize the experiences, access and feelings of white (including “passing” and “coded” 🤢) and vaguely ethnic people who may or may not be Hispanic, Native, Arab etc.

Point is even if they are, we need to stop doing that!