Posted on 08/02/2016 2:14:50 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Natasha Marin is a Seattle artist who noticed a divide on her Facebook feed: her black friends were angry and frustrated about police shootings of black men, and her white friends were saying they wanted to help, but didn’t know what to do.
“There is a discrepancy in the lives of people of color and white-identified people in the United States,” Marin said.
Marin put together the Reparations site and accompanying Facebook event. It was a place where people of color could post needs and white people could help meet those needs.
(AUDIO-AT-LINK)
“I feel like a lot of my white-identified friends and allies would like something specific to do so that they can feel less mired in guilt and stagnation, watching videos of brutality against people of color, angry articles, posts,” she said.
Almost immediately, offers and requests started pouring in. Many of the requests are serious, tangible needs: money for groceries, a place to live, tuition assistance, car repairs. People responded with donations or posted something else they could provide: resume editing, dogsitting, rides around town.
“Leveraging your privilege doesn't necessarily have to cost you financially,” Marin said. “Will you listen to me yell and scream for an hour and just vent my anger in a way that’s safe? Can you teach me how to sculpt or bead? Can you mentor me? If you're an executive at a company and somebody’s looking for a job, you’re a referral – your name drop could make a difference in that person's life.”
Of course, like many online activities, particularly concerning race, trolls emerged. Marin and her network created a way to deal with them: the Troll Slaying Brigade. The Brigade donates a dollar to someone who has made a request on the site for every negative comment received.
“So now the trolls are on our side and the trolls have actually raised more money than had been raised prior,” Marin said.
The project name, Reparations, may evoke some divisive reactions, but Marin said the word does not have to be about a specific historical event.
“It's really about making something that's broken, fixed. And being generous is a great way to fix that feeling in your spirit.
“For the most part I think that we all want the same things: We want to be seen, we want to be remembered well and we want to add value to humanity. We want to make an impact in some positive way, and this is a really doable way to do that.
“Just sit and think right now to yourself, ‘What is it that I could offer a stranger? How could I add value to somebody’s life?’”
Me too
Notice they aren’t asking their fellow blacks for help or money.
How sad is that. There was once a time when there was shame in being on the dole, a stigma attached, and not by the rest of society, but a self-imposed shame.
Those days are long gone.
Ouch!!!..if she ever reads that its gonna leave a mark.....
Great post!...Send it to her...I dare ya!
Translaves - born free, self-identify as slaves. <<<<<<
YOU BETTER PATENT THAT!!!!!..That’s a keeper!!!
YESS of course.....you’re a Translave!!!!....see post 15...it nails it!!...
YESSS!..from Germany!!!..Merkel will go for that!!!
and so will Lizzy Warren...her bloodline says she is an Indian-Jew!!
My sentiments exactly. Well expressed. We now have a gazillion people getting food stamps but last month there were three major food drives in Houston alone.
Local TV also did a huge story about a young lady who was feeding lots and lots of little kids lunch. Where were their mothers and why weren’t they fixing lunch for them? Just how much effort does it take to fix a pb&j sandwich and a piece of fruit? Our local Dollar Tree has bread, peanut butter and jelly. Pick up some small apples at the store - 3 for $.99 - and milk for $1.99. For less than $10 you can feed at least two kids for lunch for a week.
Good grief.
Maybe someone can teach these folks’ kids not to attack policemen.
Words have traditional meanings. Assigning new meanings to them can only be the goal to confuse or deceive.
Or this person is more illiterate than she cares to admit; assuming American English is her first language
When I was growing up, our parents fed us. Every member of the family sat down at the table and ate. The only exceptions to this was when someone had to work.
Thank you. But feel free to use it. I want it to go viral so I'm donating it to the cause.
'Cause that's just the kind of guy I am.
I assumed, without much thought, that the snowflake subject of the thread was white. (the required white guilt thing).
“There was once a time when there was shame in being on the dole, a stigma attached, and not by the rest of society, but a self-imposed shame.”
Because it WAS shameful, they did away with food stamps and went to EBT cards. Looks just like a credit card, scans like a credit card, no shame required.
What they call “reparations” I call “charity,” plain & simple.
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