racism

Image: Thinkstock

Living In The South As A Non-Black Mixed-Race Person

Fielding off-putting questions and comments is a regular part of the mixed-race experience around the world. Yet this social phenomenon is especially common in places with a legacy of institutionalized and cultural racism. That includes the South.

Read...
We are all different, as we come from different backgrounds, experience different hardships, and come to have different perspectives on the world. Image: Thinkstock.

Saying “We Are All The Same” Will Not Unite Us

As much as you want to believe people are all the same, we don’t have the luxury of being seen as the “default” in the same way white, straight, cis people often are. We don’t have the luxury of dismissing our painful history and systemic issues for the sake of everyone getting along, because we’re still in the middle of them.

Read...
All police officers, no matter how well intentioned, live in — and are affected by — a society rife with racism and ableism.  Image: Utility_inc/Pixabay.

Yes, Being A Cop Is A Tough Job. No, That Doesn't Excuse Incompetence.

It is a very difficult and dangerous job, and it does require officers to have the ability to make good split second decisions. None of that should mean that it’s OK to be incompetent, or that we should all rush to justify, ignore, or excuse incompetence, racism, ableism, and the inappropriate use of force.

Read...
"Mr. Kinsey, a behavior therapist at a group home for people with disabilities, was outside trying to help an autistic man who had left the facility and needed to be taken back." Image: heavy.com

He Was Lying On The Ground With His Hands In The Air. Police Shot Him Anyway.

Let me begin by saying a name: Charles Kinsey. Mr. Kinsey is the latest Black man to be shot by police while a bystander filmed the incident with a phone. Unlike so many others, Mr. Kinsey — thank the heavens — has lived to tell the tale.

Read...
I have no doubt it's uncomfortable for other people to witness racism, even when it's not directed at them. Image: Isabel Lo.

Witnessing Racism And Not Saying Something Makes You Complicit In It

Do you know what silence in response to blatant bigotry feels like? It feels really lonely. It feels like no one gives a shit.

Read...

Dutch Students Seek 'White Classmates' To Prevent School's Closure

In a story that's eliciting multiple side-eyes across the globe, Dutch immigrant children are demanding more “white classmates” in their schools.

Read...
Credit: Pixabay

Dustin, The Racist Hiring Manager I'll Never Forget

This man was terrifyingly comfortable making an underhandedly racist statement to my face.

Read...

6 Reasons Not To Be A Jerk About Trigger Warnings

Please buy a dictionary and look up “censorship.” The definition is not “brief note concerning the subject matter of the following text.”

Read...