Quick Thoughts on PoC Solidarity

You can see for yourself with the hashtag #notyourmule on Twitter. Franchesca Ramsey, of course, describes the issue in a nutshell:

It is important to be inclusive. I don't use racial slurs against other races and try my hardest to ignore the monoliths that in presented about other races. And while many non-Black PoC do address the issue of anti-Blackness (see here), others refuse to and still expect us to advocate for them.

There are so many examples of a clear lack of solidarity from other PoC except when they expect Black people to support their causes, or they speak over Black people (changing the #blacklivesmatter hashtag to whatever their race is, for example) but then treat us with the same contempt that white supremacy has told them too. 

My favourite example today was the hair shop. In the UK, Asian people (not Oriental but South Asian) own shops where we buy things for our hair such as oils, shampoos and conditioners that won't dry it out, and extensions, combs and hair pieces to create all of our amazing hairstyles. Think it's weird that Asian people own an industry that is fuelled by Black money? Well it gets worse when you realise that you're being followed around the shop as a Black person because you're silently being considered a potential thief. Or you're being offered absolutely pathetic advice on what you should buy for your hair that you have to dismiss as politely as possible. 

We know the people in the shops don't care about us or our hair - there's no such thing as good service in any of them. Of course there are some products for other ethnicities, but this is a Black experience in a shop that we specifically have had to go to for years and years to buy what we need to maintain our standards of grooming.

Anyway, it's depressing. If you want to be a real ally for Black people, remember that anti-Blackness goes further than white supremacy. After all, "there is no country in the world where it's better to be Black."

(I'm sure someone has said that last quote before me but I can't find out who it was!)