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For the record
May. 20th, 2009 09:18 amThis is a few days late, for which I apologise (I was away and off- line on the proper day).
I was born into the dominant culture for my country (UK) and as such have benefited from the privilege that accrues to that. Others in my country have not had those privileges and that is wrong and unacceptable, and as a white girl, I accept my share of the responsibility and the blame. I accept that I probably have assumptions and beliefs that are privileged or prejudiced and I undertake to try and identify and end these.
I consider it my responsibility to work to end this prejudice. I do not believe that any p.o.c. has any duty to help me or advise me. I do not believe it is in any way my job to advise any p.o.c. I own my background with all its negatives and I undertake to do my very best to undo harm and to overthrow privilege in any ways I can.
It would be easy for me, in the UK, to push a 'me too' button and run for cover. I am mostly Celtic, and the Celtic-speaking peoples have a legacy of oppression and prejudice imposed on them by the English. But I will not do this. This isn't about me and my ancestry, and it isn't honourable, to me at least, to pick and choose for 'acceptable' ancestors. I consider this latter strategy to be weak at best, and hypocritical at worst. I will own all my ancestry and do my best to behave better and to work to help others.
I do not believe that any of the ways in which I have endured prejudice -- for class, for gender etc -- are equivalent or equal to the prejudices endured by p.o.c. Again, this is not about me.
MY own feelings of guilt and fear and upset and complicity are my problem and it's up to me to deal with them without seeking absolution or help from p.o.c. (or anyone else except any close friends who wish to discuss this with me).
I am screening comments on this post. Yes, I'm also something of a coward, and I apologise for that.
This entry is in no way aimed at anyone on my friends' list. It's a consequence of me thinking over the issues by myself.
If anyone wants to ask me about race issues in my writing, please feel free.
I was born into the dominant culture for my country (UK) and as such have benefited from the privilege that accrues to that. Others in my country have not had those privileges and that is wrong and unacceptable, and as a white girl, I accept my share of the responsibility and the blame. I accept that I probably have assumptions and beliefs that are privileged or prejudiced and I undertake to try and identify and end these.
I consider it my responsibility to work to end this prejudice. I do not believe that any p.o.c. has any duty to help me or advise me. I do not believe it is in any way my job to advise any p.o.c. I own my background with all its negatives and I undertake to do my very best to undo harm and to overthrow privilege in any ways I can.
It would be easy for me, in the UK, to push a 'me too' button and run for cover. I am mostly Celtic, and the Celtic-speaking peoples have a legacy of oppression and prejudice imposed on them by the English. But I will not do this. This isn't about me and my ancestry, and it isn't honourable, to me at least, to pick and choose for 'acceptable' ancestors. I consider this latter strategy to be weak at best, and hypocritical at worst. I will own all my ancestry and do my best to behave better and to work to help others.
I do not believe that any of the ways in which I have endured prejudice -- for class, for gender etc -- are equivalent or equal to the prejudices endured by p.o.c. Again, this is not about me.
MY own feelings of guilt and fear and upset and complicity are my problem and it's up to me to deal with them without seeking absolution or help from p.o.c. (or anyone else except any close friends who wish to discuss this with me).
I am screening comments on this post. Yes, I'm also something of a coward, and I apologise for that.
This entry is in no way aimed at anyone on my friends' list. It's a consequence of me thinking over the issues by myself.
If anyone wants to ask me about race issues in my writing, please feel free.