"We all have a blind spot around our privileges shaped exactly like us.
And I’m telling you guys, we’re never fucking going to get anywhere as long as our economies of attraction continue to resemble more or less the economies of attraction of white supremacy. Finding people who practice decolonial love is as hard inside of a vast movement as it is outside. The actual standard of decolonial love, how little discussed, how little understood, and yet in many ways is the great test of who we are and of our praxis and of our communal praxis."

--Junot Díaz, Keynote Speech at Facing Race 2012

(via Tudo Bom(b))

I have as many speeches from this conference as are available on YouTube queued on my Watch Later list. Expect way more quotes at some future point.

#realtalk

What is the most honest way to address privilege short of cursing out colleagues and friends? How do we examine the overlapping oppression among our peer activists who, apparently, are unaware (or unabashed) of the other forms of white privilege they possess?

--Livication over at The Intersection of Madness and Reality

I might have to start watching Saturday Night Live.

It's like All That! grew up and got a lot more controversial!

But, for the record, I do want to recognize that privileged people of all races experience problems like this, and even though white people are far more likely to be in that privileged category, saying that these are problems that affect only white people is problematic and contributes to the narrative of POC as invariably poor. 

That being said, this is still amusing:



For similar entertainment, check out WhiteWhine.

Things that make me feel old:

My little sister's boyfriend coming over to meet the family. I'm no longer the only one whose relationships are subject to my mother's scrutiny.

This morning, my little sister needing help filling out her FAFSA. Realizing that I don't need to file a FAFSA this year because I won't be in school next year. (Graduation is imminent.)

Things that make me feel poor: mentioning the above sentiment to a friend over dinner, and him not sympathizing because he's never had to apply for financial aid.

Things that make me feel privileged: Being able to take things like financial aid for granted.

Despite my previous post,

I wonder which side of this line I fall on. I go to the number one University in the world, and there is less than $200 in my bank account, and even that is already promised away. I have a job, but also a giant bill coming my way in November, and as much of the money I make as possible has to be saved in light of that.  I suppose I fall into an ambiguous middle category called "privileged".

Reblogged from Indie. Radiant.

 

"You never know how much shit you have until you have to move it."

That's what people always say, right? And as a person who moves a substantial percentage of her belongings approximately three times a year (oh college life), I thought I'd become quite familiar with how much shit I have. 

But when I was packing yesterday, I decided that I should go through the clothes sitting in my drawers/closet that I hadn't worn in a long time, and I found tops I legitimately hadn't thought about since freshman year, maxi dresses I probably won't ever wear again, shorts that don't fit, sweaters I hate, an old winter coat, tops that I need to stop pretending fit...to make a long story short, I filled two trash bags with clothing that can be sent to Goodwill/The Salvation Army. And I'm even having gotten rid of all of that, I'm still bringing a medium-sized suitcase, a small suitcase, two duffel bags, and a garment bag full of clothes with me to school. And on top of all of that, I have a separate (albeit much smaller) 'professional wardrobe' that is staying in a drawer in my dresser at home til interview season rolls around in the Spring.

And [though this should perhaps happen more often] I'm not sure I've ever felt so disgustingly privileged. There was a time in my youth where I thrifted not because thrifting was in, but because my family had to. When exactly did I go from being that girl to a girl who is giving away a sweater from Macy's? Macy's used to be "too rich for my blood." My mom still says that. She also won't own anything white because it'll get too dirty, and I just packed a pair of white pants (No white after Labor Day "rule," you don't OWN ME!) When did I become a person who had the means to revitalize her wardrobe a little bit each year? 

Now don't get me wrong, I love that I can do this. I love that my clothing can continue to reflect my personality as I grow and change and come into my own. But I suppose I'm just realizing right now that my life is full of extraordinary luxuries. Some day the necessities of my life will be less taken care of by the institution(s) in my life and I will have to spend my own money on things like food and keeping a roof over my head. I'm starting the food thing a little this year, even, in preparation. I just, in loving my freedom and ability to wear a different shirt every day for more than a month (probably more than two if I existed in some season-less space where t-shirts, tank tops, and sweaters could be interchanged at will), I also want to recognize how the current circumstances of my life have spoiled me. 

But the most important part about this spoiling, this privilege, is that it demands conscientiousness and responsibility. I just started decluttering my bedroom and will wind up helping somebody take care of some bodies. So the next time you're bored laying around or something, go through your closet/dresser/the mess under your bed and see what is no longer serving you. Let it serve someone else.     

Damn.

Begins mission to try really hard not to #firstworldproblems or WhiteWhine:  

Reblogged from Peace Love and Pretty Things...which is slightly ironic...