These Black Sorority Members Are Speaking Out Against The Racism They Faced…

[*winter*]

I feel like “they don’t know any better” is just a tired excuse. It’s 2021. We all know what’s offensive and what’s not. First of all, it’s college- so if you don’t know already, educate yourself, because the world (and your future workplace) are bigger than your small town. Secondly- a lot of these girls who make this claim come from really privileged families. While I’m not implying that a privileged person can’t be racist, these ARE people who adhere to social graces and society rules (at least on the outside). If you grew up knowing which fork to use and learning etiquette, then you know enough to not use certain words, even in a joking manner. I feel like it’s precisely privilege that enables their behavior- they don’t care if someone is offended. Like the whole “I tel it like it is and if you don’t like it, you’re a snowflake” mentality.

I’m pretty far from being a racist, but if I had to attend a diversity workshop, I would go and see if I could learn anything. To me, as someone in the social work field, I’m always learning new things about people, sociology and how people want to be treated. If nothing else, i would be supporting the sisters who felt offended. Part of my role as a white person isn’t just to not offend anyone, but to speak out and support those who are bothered, especially if they’re my sisters.

[33girl]

This generation has grown up with not having to listen to or watch anything they aren’t interested in. I mean, I had 4 channels on tv growing up (and sometimes not even that, depending on weather). At some point I was going to run into The Jeffersons or Sanford and Son. Nowadays, lots of people don’t even watch broadcast tv - they pick and choose what they want from Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, TikTok. If they don’t want to be exposed to people who don’t look and act like them, they don’t have to be. Same with music.

You can teach kids in school, but if they come home and hear the opposite, how much of a dent will it make? (I’m thinking of the dinner scene in American History X.) If it’s a white teacher reading from a book to a 100% white class, it’s probably going to seem as real and immediate to them as the Revolutionary War does.

None of this is an excuse, but it’s very easy to see how narrow mindedness and just plain ignorance happens. We’re dividing into smaller and smaller factions every day.

[carnation]

Originally Posted by *winter*

I feel like “they don’t know any better” is just a tired excuse. It’s 2021. We all know what’s offensive and what’s not.

This is my point. It's 2021 and we do know better, although some people may choose to gloss over that and act like they want--and I'm not just talking about racism either.

Requiring re-education workshops? Sounds like the Pol Pot regime in Cambodia.