Introducing: Race Manners.
By Jenée Desmond-Harris Contributing Writer, Opinion |
"One of the most common pieces of advice I've heard given to aspiring white allies is to seek out more Black opinions," wrote the reader whose question is featured in the first installment of Race Manners, Opinion's new advice column designed to help readers resolve personal dilemmas involving race, culture and identity. |
It's a complex question, one that reminds me of why I wanted to start this column at The Times — we live in a moment when good intentions abound, but people of different backgrounds still feel a lot of awkwardness and uncertainty in their interactions with one another. As a journalist who's reported and edited countless stories on race in America, I want to help people make sense of these difficulties. |
In my response to this letter writer, I shared that I've been there — wanting to do the right thing when it comes to marginalized groups to which I don't belong, while encountering conflicting takes about what the "right" thing is. |
Is it helpful or cringeworthy for cis people to put pronouns in our bios and email signatures? Are straight people a supportive or annoying presence at Pride? Am I honoring or alienating people if I use "Latinx" instead of "Latino"? Is "fat" a straightforward descriptor that I should use to support people who have reclaimed it, or is the pain the word still causes for some reason enough to avoid it? |
Then I offered some advice for how to sort through and weigh various perspectives, and ultimately take responsibility for wherever you land. |
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