Shishi Rose: “White women do not get to speak over Black women when we discuss the divide.”
Each day, I see calls to normalize a Trump presidency while he attempts to stack the Executive Office with cabinet members such as white nationalist, Steve Bannon, and public education privatizer Betsy DeVos. Meanwhile, hateful harassment, intimidation and bullying are on the rise in our nation and in our schools.
The disconnect between the national narrative and daily observations have caused me to become more and more disillusioned with mainstream media. As a result, I’ve been surviving on social-media, specifically Twitter, Facebook and more recently Instagram.
I *Heart* Shishi Rose!
If you’re not following @Shishi.rose on Instagram… you should.
That’s when I discovered @Shishi.rose. (Here website is here.) Lately, I’ve become a big fan. If you’re not already following her, you should. Shishi has quite a following (32K+ and growing!) This fact is not surprising. The thing I love about Shishi is her courage and honesty, which is desperately needed these days. If you could personify “speaking truth to power”, I think it would look like her.
Shishi caught my eye because she speaks so openly about her experience as a Black woman organizing in White spaces. Notably, she posted a video about criticism she received after sharing an article titled, “Your Safety Pin Doesn’t Stand A Chance Against White Supremacy,” by Christy DeGallerie. (It’s an excellent article, which I suggest you read.) In the video and in subsequent posts she commented on the dismissive way Black and Brown organizers are treated by White allies in spaces organized to resist white supremacy.
What she puts into words so well is that in ostensibly “safe” spaces (e.g. feminist meetings, the comments section on her private Instagram account, etc.) Black and Brown women are still asked to center themselves around White people’s feelings. In this case, she describes how Black women such as herself are called to debate the merits of safety pin wearing, while trying to refocus the conversation on the very real issues of survival in our country.
It’s Time for White “Allies” To Check Themselves
As we organize to #resist a Trump presidency, it’s important to be mindful of the Shishi Rose: "White women do not get to speak over Black women when we discuss the divide." - SF Public School MomSF Public School Mom: