I'm white. Do you ever just get sick of white people?

[intheflow]

75. Man, I miss working for smart Black people.

As a white woman in a liberal profession (librarianship), let me just tell you, it ain't just the white Reich wingers that are the problem. It's white culture. I don't doubt my library's leadership sees itself as liberal and supporting diversity, but somehow they can't seem to hire Black or Latino librarians and staff in our 35% Black/40% Latino city. No one on the front lines speaks Spanish. Attempts to change the culture into something resembling DEIB are met with suspicion and resistance, and trying to push for it will lead to being shut out of promotions. (I know this from personal experience.) Any kind of lliberatory work to change the culture from helping poor people to helping our neighbors is shut down immediately

Meanwhile, when I worked for a Black-run non-profit, we worked on very heavy subjects and we also had fun, thoughtful discussions, the workplace was a community in and of itself, and was also a vital part of the larger community we served. Our service to the community was based on community needs and feedback, not what passes for "service" in my library (book clubs reading white authors, computer classes to teach the poor masses of the 21st Century, etc.). My boss and coworkers took the time to get to know me and allowed me to get to know them. It was a cooperative, thoughtful, and focused organization, and I really, really miss it.