“Racism Is Not A Product Of Ignorance”

Racism is not a product of "ignorance." https://t.co/Ih5KLOXdUk

— G. Willow Wilson (@GWillowWilson) May 26, 2020

This is a troubling blind spot of white liberalism: the idea that smart/educated people can't be racist+ that the solution to racism is individual absolution (*I* am not like that. *I* have never said the n-word in my life. *I* voted for Barack Obama) rather than systemic change.

— G. Willow Wilson (@GWillowWilson) May 26, 2020

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I think it's tempting for us to believe we can just sort of delete the Confederacy app off our phone and be done. The idea that it's the whole operating system--that no part of our culture, even the good bits, is untouched by it--is too big to think about.

— G. Willow Wilson (@GWillowWilson) May 26, 2020

I would encourage any liberals popping in here with some variation of a No True Scotsman argument to maybe take a minute and reconsider. 🙂

— G. Willow Wilson (@GWillowWilson) May 26, 2020

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"Who do you become when you panic?" is a pretty good measure of who you really are. That instinct she had--that she could rely on the cops *even when it was she who broke the rules*--isn't something you get over in 1 afternoon of sensitivity training. That is firmware.

— G. Willow Wilson (@GWillowWilson) May 26, 2020

Anyway, this is all to say that, even if you've got a master's degree and you've read Marx in the original German and you always recycle, if you are white, you are probably running some of that firmware. You, me, all of us. It's in the background. It doesn't care how you vote.

— G. Willow Wilson (@GWillowWilson) May 26, 2020

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(As a PS, I realize none of this is new or noteworthy to people who aren't white--but the 'racism is ignorance/ignorant people are racist' was such a constant drumbeat in my childhood that it almost began to seem like you could defeat racism by maintaining a GPA of 3.6 or higher)

— G. Willow Wilson (@GWillowWilson) May 26, 2020

Your Actions Speak Louder

White folks: instead of lather, rinse & repeat your tweets for #GeorgeFloyd or about #AmyCooper, here are things you can *actually do* to interrupt that stems from which you benefit.

Compiled by white people who made the effort: https://t.co/z8rydxjNlkhttps://t.co/PJkFBM7dNm

— brittany packnett cunningham. (@MsPackyetti) May 26, 2020

https://twitter.com/melodyMcooper/status/1264965252866641920

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Ok I am nonbinary. But socially I am read as a woman. A white woman. And from that standpoint I wanna address white women/people socially read as white women because this is important:

we are weapons of white supremacy; in fact, we are THE weapon of white supremacy

— Elle Has Cats (and ADHD) (@ellle_em) May 26, 2020

Our supposed "purity" is the justification behind acts of racial violence and murder. Lynchings were so often committed because a black man was accused of assaulting/touching/looking at! a white woman. The specter of black men coming after white women was major racist propaganda

— Elle Has Cats (and ADHD) (@ellle_em) May 26, 2020

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And we were not innocent in this of course. This is pretty basic history. Think of "To Kill A Mockingbird," an entire book based on a white woman using the fear of black men's desire to hide her own shame and her father's guilt.

That isn't made up. That happened.

— Elle Has Cats (and ADHD) (@ellle_em) May 26, 2020

Emmett Till was murdered because of a white woman who lied. A white woman who has lived her life free from the consequences of her actions, a white woman who caused a child's violent lynching and got away with it.

White women we know of what we are capable

— Elle Has Cats (and ADHD) (@ellle_em) May 26, 2020

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And white women, when we call the police on a black person we are knowingly committing a modern-day lynching.#amycooper could very have killed that man, just as Carolyn Bryant Donham killed Emmett Till

— Elle Has Cats (and ADHD) (@ellle_em) May 26, 2020

This is a difficult truth to face, I know. White women, sometimes we (and those of us socially read as women) feel like we aren't as bad as white men because we're, you know, women.

But when it comes to racism in general and anti-blackness in particular, the dynamic shifts

— Elle Has Cats (and ADHD) (@ellle_em) May 26, 2020

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and white women we have social power--enough social power to get people killed.

So we cannot be passive here. We cannot assume we are doing enough. We have to be very clear that we will not tolerate racism done in our name

— Elle Has Cats (and ADHD) (@ellle_em) May 26, 2020

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More here

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#CollegeSigningDay: Our Forever First Lady

Thank you to everyone who supported #CollegeSigningDay. I’m so proud of each and every one of these students! pic.twitter.com/wzP1WUNmJI

— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) May 2, 2018

Congrats, Destiny! College will open so many doors for you. Keep reaching higher and never give up! #BetterMakeRoom #CollegeSigningDay https://t.co/ViMYV80oyC

— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) May 2, 2018

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So excited for you! https://t.co/s0OsriuC8G

— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) May 2, 2018

Happy #CollegeSigningDay! So excited to be in Philly to celebrate all the young people making the commitment to higher education. pic.twitter.com/xWJz46dXXN

— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) May 2, 2018

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Just hugged my auntie in my head @MichelleObama ...I'm in a very good place right now.

— Zendaya (@Zendaya) May 2, 2018

Was an honor to join @MichelleObama along with other star athletes and entertainers to celebrate graduating seniors who’ve all chosen the path to higher education! 🙌🏾 #Collegesigningday pic.twitter.com/bEO7dksOUW

— Malcolm Jenkins (@MalcolmJenkins) May 3, 2018

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Going to Wesleyan changed my life.
I'm proud of all of you making that commitment to college.
Show me your pride, youths of tomorrow! Tell me where you're going.#BetterMakeRoom #CollegeSigningDay pic.twitter.com/H0R5FiIaWS

— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) May 2, 2018

Here's a special #CollegeSigningDay message from @MichelleObama! #BetterMakeRoom 🎓 pic.twitter.com/W6GHf3dST2

— Better Make Room 🎓 (@BetterMakeRoom) May 2, 2018

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Dancing and Celebrating #CollegeSigningDay With @MichelleObama. Forever My First Lady! ❤️#ReachHigher @BetterMakeRoom pic.twitter.com/UMXGQkz8Yr

— Ciara (@ciara) May 2, 2018

so excited to be performing for such an amazing cause today 💞💞@michelleobama is doing great work recognizing students for graduating from high school and committing to further their education through @BetterMakeRoom and im honored to be involved 🌟 pic.twitter.com/56RThxgcYG

— camila (@Camila_Cabello) May 2, 2018

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Can't stop dancing and celebrating YOU!!!!! Congratulations to those who have committed to furthering their education & who are reaching higher! The world is making room for YOU!!! @MichelleObama @ciara @KELLYROWLAND ❤️❤️💕💕💕@bettermakeroom #thankfulthankful pic.twitter.com/VCqRMgEhyv

— Bailee Madison (@BaileeMadison) May 2, 2018

Dance Party! Michelle Obama, Karlie Kloss, Bradley Cooper and Other Celebs Celebrate #CollegeSigningDay https://t.co/toBuN6KpgZ

— People (@people) May 2, 2018

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Loved being a part of #CollegeSigningDay with this inspiring group of people! pic.twitter.com/eAeKTKMrSG

— Jesse Tyler Ferguson (he/him/his) (@jessetyler) May 2, 2018

I think I can speak for all of Philadelphia when I say that we are very grateful that @MichelleObama is here for #CollegeSigningDay! Few people have demonstrated a stronger commitment to education and the well-being of our students! https://t.co/UFl97TMHPr

— Mayor Jim Kenney (@PhillyMayor) May 2, 2018

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Hanging out with Anthony Mackie backstage at @MichelleObama’s @ReachHigher #CollegeSigningDay event! Casual. No big deal. 😭 https://t.co/NlsuX0XPAQ pic.twitter.com/geL7t28Qtp

— Anne Munition (@AnneMunition) May 2, 2018

Wishing a happy #CollegeSigningDay to the class of 2022! I'm proud to be a @Penn graduate, where I learned skills that shaped my future. I know college will do the same for you. #BetterMakeRoom pic.twitter.com/pm5qrUz4Vt

— John Legend (@johnlegend) May 2, 2018

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Backstage with the band (& @kellyrowland 😜) #collegesigningday #bettermakeroom pic.twitter.com/CXrQMyiJES

— Karlie Kloss (@karliekloss) May 2, 2018

Thanks everyone for supporting #CollegeSigningDay! We’re so proud to celebrate all of the young people making a commitment to get a higher education. #BetterMakeRoom pic.twitter.com/VfFGStu34J

— Better Make Room 🎓 (@BetterMakeRoom) May 2, 2018

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Forever My First Lady ❤️. @MichelleObama pic.twitter.com/qGNACM6ulm

— Ciara (@ciara) May 2, 2018

Thank you @MichelleObama and @BetterMakeRoom for having me! #CollegeSigningDay pic.twitter.com/fOmyAtWOdD

— KELENDRIA ROWLAND (@KELLYROWLAND) May 2, 2018

A Day In The Life Of….

Never-before-seen photos of First Lady Michelle Obama. Photographer Amanda Lucidon joins @AndersonCooper https://t.co/F8JxHhv4PN

— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) October 21, 2017

First Lady Michelle Obama On Ellen

Ellen and First Lady Michelle Obama dancing on the Ellen DeGeneres show

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President Obama: Epic

.@POTUS addresses the "conspiracy" that "we are creating a plot to take everybody's guns" https://t.co/AFzFmmsvGC https://t.co/p611SWIrgk

— CNN (@CNN) January 8, 2016

The President And First Lady’s Day

@dougmillsnyt: President Obama walks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India during a surprise visit to the MLK Memorial

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President Obama hosts a meeting with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Oval Office

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Text of remarks here

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Last night’s dinner

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President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India en-route to the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Sept. 30, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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President Obama and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi visit the Martin Luther King Memorial

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Text of the First Lady’s remarks here

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 First Lady Michelle Obama speaks at a luncheon in the East Room of the White House to honor of the winners of the 2014 National Design Awards

“The heartache and the hope, the struggle and the progress…..”

Sorry everyone, didn’t have time to catch up with newsie stuff over the weekend, but caught a glimpse of the Selma commemorations today.

Got me thinking of the late Ann Nixon Cooper and President Obama talking about her in his first Chicago victory speech.

“The heartache and the hope, the struggle and the progress…..”

Sequestration and all that? A misery. Completely.

But when you think of what Ann’s generation went through…. unimaginable, really.

So, in honor of Ann and her generation: never give up, never give in.

Ever.

lies, lies, lies (updated with nyt correction)

NYT

From today’s speech:

White House

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Update:

Good, a correction. But seriously, why was the ‘mistake’ made in the first place? Did they actually listen to the speech? 🙄

so, who’s watching the freak show?

Live streaming at CNN

Live blog at Think Progress

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So, Republicans love executions (even of the innocent), they cheer the death of people without health insurance, they despise gay soldiers, and now they reckon the unemployed should blame themselves …..  wow.

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