So...over the Facebook wires yesterday came this.....
The UU Congregation of Atlanta is moving. And in their information gathering, a survey was created. This was the first question. What was your first thought when you saw that question just now? Mine was, "Did somebody not proofread this?"
In the discussion of this survey question yesterday on social media, those of us who said that the question was problematic were told that we didn't understand the context of the question; what this question was intended to gauge reactions to possible gentrification. And, that because a person of color was involved in writing the survey, that we should assume the good intentions of all involved.
ok my white liberal friends, here's something you need to know; there are only two things in life I have to do.....stay black and die.
Why are people of color always asked to assume the good intentions of white people (or their agents, whether they are white or a person of color)? Asking people of color to assume good intention from white people is asking them to ignore the whole of American history. And it is asking people of color to do something that, let's be honest, most whites don't do; assume the good intent of people of color regarding anything.
W.E.B. DuBois said in 'The Souls of Black Folk':
Between me and the other world there is ever an unasked question: unasked by some through feelings of delicacy; by others through the difficulty of rightly framing it. All, nevertheless, flutter round it. They approach me in a half- hesitant sort of way, eye me curiously or compassionately, and then, instead of saying directly, How does it feel to be a problem? they say, I know an excellent colored man in my town; or, I fought at Mechanicsville; or, Do not these Southern outrages make your blood boil? At these I smile, or am interested, or reduce the boiling to a simmer, as the occasion may require. To the real question, How does it feel to be a problem? I answer seldom a word.
No matter the intent of the writer of the question, let's be clear what this question assumed. This question assumed that people of color (and the neighborhoods they live in) are problems. No amount of assuming good intent will change the definition of the word "undesireable". No amount of assuming good intent will change the fact that Atlanta has the history that it has.
The road to hell truly is paved with good intentions. Assuming the good intentions of white people have done nothing but get people of color killed.
So please...stop telling people of color to assume good intent.
