and that's only a quarter of the hoo boy worthy quotes! maybe less!
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BLM Nashville meetings cancelled by public library for being "No whites allowed"
- Thread starter Jharp
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NullPointer
Member
Period.
Liu Kang Baking A Pie
Member
Here's what happens, because I saw it happen myself:
You tell an unsupportive, selfish person that they're not helping and not wanted. That person sets up their own protest using your name, they make a Facebook event and group page, and all of their friends come because they know this activist and trust their name and value in the movement. Suddenly a "BLM protest" is happening in the city, everyone's laughing that it's full of white people only, there are broken windows because it was just a bunch of anarchists waiting for a "fuck the police" protest to join that night, and now no one looks good. There was a similar story at a college a few months ago where BLM tried to shut down a "white protest," and people thought that was just blind reverse racism without knowing what it's like being actually involved.
You can't win no matter what you do.
Alligatorjandro
Banned
Would any white people here go to a blm rally?
DrGonzo615
Banned
The lack of self-awareness displayed in these topics is staggering.
Fighting racism with racism.
Fighting racism with racism.
I can't speak for the branch in question, but in general any librarian worth their salt would be more than happy to not only sit down and discuss the meeting room policy with BLM members, but also work with them to find a suitable place for them to meet up that would fit their restriction (such as the church they settled on).
Seriously, you'd be surprised at the kind of things your library will work with you on. Never underestimate a reference librarian with time on their hands.
Seriously, you'd be surprised at the kind of things your library will work with you on. Never underestimate a reference librarian with time on their hands.
Liu Kang Baking A Pie
Member
Did you just "but our president is black" this?
NullPointer
Member
Because any male attending a women's meeting would be there to tell them whats going on.
Jesus people, read your own fucking words.
You missed the point I was making completely, so congrats for that.
Well this thread is a trainwreck. How is BLM going to succeed in the general public when we argue about something like this on a mostly left leaning forum?
You can't tell the difference between not being welcome at a meeting because of your contrarian stance and not being welcome at a meeting because of your race despite your supportive stance?
You can't tell the difference between not being welcome at a meeting because of your contrarian stance and not being welcome at a meeting because of your race despite your supportive stance?
A movement needs to become a movement by allying with enough people to make enough noise to get something done. Otherwise you are just a few people with similar ideas.
So in the context you are framing it you need other people within the black community to ally and come together in enough numbers to force change. Whatever that change is that you define it as.
I would argue in this country you need allies in the white community because there is after all, still primarily white supremacy in this society and change is likely going to have to involve them at some level.
Aaronology
Member
No one does. This is hardly a quality exclusive to any one demographic. The fact is that without involvement from more than just African Americans, Civil Rights in this country would not have progressed as it did. It's pretty shameful that we have people defending segregation in this thread.
BLM Nashville fucked up. No need to rationalize it.
Liu Kang Baking A Pie
Member
YES. This is exactly it! And it took me a long time to even understand this myself. We're really conditioned to believe activist causes are for everyone and want everyone, but revolutions have never needed that.
IrishNinja
Member
this post will sadly be ignored by many in here, i fear
The right call was made. Anyone trying to segregate along racial lines needs a good slap around the head.
To you folks that keep saying it's racist to not be inclusive. Have you guys forgotten this?
http://www.rawstory.com/2015/11/men...ues-on-4chan-and-slew-of-incriminating-texts/
We are talking about Nashville in the OP's story. I'm sure they have their reasons for having a closed door policy. They don't want the attention of fuccbois who aren't sympathetic to their cause. It's Nashville.
That's said, the local chapter shouldn't have tried to hold their function at a public library.
http://www.rawstory.com/2015/11/men...ues-on-4chan-and-slew-of-incriminating-texts/
We are talking about Nashville in the OP's story. I'm sure they have their reasons for having a closed door policy. They don't want the attention of fuccbois who aren't sympathetic to their cause. It's Nashville.
That's said, the local chapter shouldn't have tried to hold their function at a public library.
Can you spell it out for me pretty please.
Or maybe white people don't have to be a part of this one thing?
Pandora012
Member
What's even sadder is that it's in the first sentence in the op.
Massive Duck. C.M.
Banned
Let's have a GAF meetup/BLM meeting and then all of you lovely concerned people can make your voices heard.
Gazebo 8
Gazebo 8
……forgetit
Member
100% on the libraries side.
I don't know much about BLM but public perception in the U.S. is a big problem. The "fair and balanced" American media portrays them horribly. This has got me thinking. Why doesn't BLM have a central, charismatic leader? There were several during the civil rights movement but I can't think of any today. I kind of feel like BLM is running on fumes and isn't going to get much done, unfortunately. Then again, I haven't been following closely so maybe I've missed some things.
You can be racist to white people, however, the racism threshold is a lot higher than for other groups because of history.
I was going to say something with an analogy but Sushi Nao has already covered that.
So before this nonsense occurred, you were Gung-ho about attending a BLM meeting?
I'm confused by this. Eventually, any legal movement either needs to a) convince people in power (judges, sufficient legislators, etc) to make changes, or b) become large enough to vote in sufficient people to power to make changes.
LizardKing
Member
Revolutions have never succeeded while excluding the support or sympathies of a certain demographic. Especially the majority one.
Gotdatmoney
Member
No its not. I dunno about other people of color here, but I certainly know that a lot of people are gonna get really fucking offended (which is their right) if we were to sit and have a real discussion about race. Not every single gathering needs to be a back and forth. Unless you think, "white people welcome but this isn't an argument so don't talk out" is going to come across any better (which it isn't)
I agree with the library though. It's a public space, the stuff has to be open to the general public.
Gordon Shumway
Banned
In Tennessee? By this one group? Or do these folks spoil the entire bunch?
Coffee Dog
Banned
Nice job on comparing the general white public to four murderers.
the "spoil the bunch" mentality is on display all over this thread, but applied to white people. That's what this entire tangent is predicated upon; whether or not it is justified to allow the actions of white people to "spoil the bunch", including allies, by excluding them from the conversation.
Don't invite white people, they might try to kill us! It's not like idiots who want to start trouble wouldn't have been able to find out if it was POC only. They still use media to invite people. It's not like you're only going to hear about it through the black internet.
Wouldn't doing it this way attract more attention from people like that?
Which library?
Limiting Black Activist meetings to black people and non-black colored people isn't "racist" in the same way that segregation was "racist" so let's stop trying to demonize this misguided chapter TOO much.
Yes, it's exclusionary, but strategically. White supremacy is a very real thing in this country and removing the influence of that supremacy is completely understandable if you want to have a meeting without it. It's not my 'fault' that this is reality but just like I can't change my skin color I can't stop participating in white supremacy simply by showing up to a BLM meeting.
That said. I don't think EVERY meeting should be exclusive. I don't think MOST meetings should be exclusive. That seems completely misguided. Input from white activist leaders is going to be necessary going forward.
Lastly:
Liu Kang Baking A Pie, that paragraph about white people at black activist meetings was disgustingly cynical. I've never experience anything like that in real life. Then again, I'm white.
Yes, it's exclusionary, but strategically. White supremacy is a very real thing in this country and removing the influence of that supremacy is completely understandable if you want to have a meeting without it. It's not my 'fault' that this is reality but just like I can't change my skin color I can't stop participating in white supremacy simply by showing up to a BLM meeting.
That said. I don't think EVERY meeting should be exclusive. I don't think MOST meetings should be exclusive. That seems completely misguided. Input from white activist leaders is going to be necessary going forward.
Lastly:
Liu Kang Baking A Pie, that paragraph about white people at black activist meetings was disgustingly cynical. I've never experience anything like that in real life. Then again, I'm white.
Let's not conflate the needs and wants of this local chapter with BLM on a national scale. BLM WANTS white allies. This chapter did not want some white people in their function. I can take a guess as to why, being in Nashville.
boiled goose
good with gravy
Umm idiots gonna idiot whether you ban them initially or kick em out.
As another anecdote. I went with my not completely out gay friend to an lgbtq support group. I went there to support him. It was aimed at lgbtq people of color.
At the start of the event they said this would be a safe space and thus you had to verbally self identify with both an lgbtq and person of color label or you were not welcome there.
Both my friend and i were like WTF. This was supposed to be a support group and yet they were forcing people to out themselves to a bunch of strangers not only in regards to sexual orientation but race! On top of that, kick your allies if they were gay and white or nonwhite straight.
My friend never went to any events from the group and sent a letter to the University and the organization. Shit like this is counterproductive. It creates an environment of exclusion not inclusion.
ThisGuy
Member
It was an honest question. With a serious guess. They don't want privileged perspective influencing their discussions. Is that a terrible guess?
Care to actually elaborate? I guess it's easier than explaining something.
The entire BLM movement. We are a monolith after all.
Massive Duck. C.M.
Banned
Libraries don't have gazebos! Unless it's some kind of mega library...
To all of the people saying how this thread is full of people discussing how BLM is excluding white people instead of the real issues... this thread is about an article about BLM excluding white people. It's not like this is the BLM Community Thread and people are pouring into it to shitpost regarding this story.
What exactly are you expecting people to discuss in this thread?
What exactly are you expecting people to discuss in this thread?
Gordon Shumway
Banned
Does Nashville represent the whole here in comparison?
Shit..didn't get the memo.
I think Shaun King is the closest ATM
You missing the point pretty much reinforces both my point as well as why a BLM group wouldn't want to be all inclusive.
stufte
Member
Gung-ho? Nah. I wouldn't be against going if someone invited me, but I kinda doubt that is going to happen.
Nice job on missing the fucking point. It's fucking Nashville they may have their reasons, that doesn't mean that BLM as a whole doesn't want white allies. Use your head.
You think they anticipated this happening? Of course they didn't otherwise they wouldn't have done it. It's fucking nashville, blm has a target on its back from people like this regardless.
Glad to see that we've all agreed that not being allowed to a meeting in a library is comparable to walking down the street in complete fear of strangers and law enforcement. Because racism is racism. And I'm sure the whole BLM movement won't be discredited and slandered because of this. Absolutely not.
boiled goose
good with gravy
This was one BlM group people... not the whole organization.
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