Black Girl From Eugene: We can’t dismantle white supremacy with white supremacy’s tools

1 min read

3 weeks ago Whole Community News

Practice solidarity. Show up for communities that are not your own. Not as a savior, not as everyone with the answers, but as someone willing to follow their lead, share resources, and take risks for collective liberation. We are ONE.

by Ayisha Elliott, Black Girl From Eugene

I was ten years old when a teacher told me I shouldn’t wear a particular dress with “my body.” It would bring the wrong kind of attention. Did I want to be thought of as promiscuous? I didn’t know what that word meant, but if a trusted adult was asking, then no, I definitely didn’t want to be that.

That same year, classmates regularly touched my hair without permission. It was new to them, I was told. Where else would they get the chance? That’s just being polite.

And when I wasn’t picked for projects? Well, I wouldn’t want to be in a place where I wasn’t a good fit, as the teacher explained. That makes sense, right?

Except it didn’t. I knew in my body it wasn’t right. I also knew in my body that it might not be worth the fight if I was wrong. So I went along.

Continue reading

If you’d like to work with Ayisha on dismantling this cultural norm, whether in your organization or small groups, contact her at BlackGirlFromEugene@gmail.com.