Pro-tip: Part of advocating for marginalized groups to have more spaces means letting them have the space to enjoy it. Amongst themselves.

-JeCorey Holder
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by JeCorey Holder

As discourse bubbles over a white cosplayer winning first place at a Black Nerd convention (something that I, in my naive sliver of optimism, am still hoping was a misunderstanding), my mind falls upon the white allies who celebrate Black people having our own spaces… Only to swerve well out of their lane and go careening right into ‘em.

So let’s ignore the white people who are out here googling “fun things to turn into tacos” while being anti-immigration for a second, because this one is about our so-called allies.

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Do these left-leaning whites know that we see them taking funny comments made by Black people and recycling them in Black conversations? Do they realize that we see them actively colonizing Black talking points about white people? 

Do they realize how absolutely infantilizing that is?

 Co-opting humor about racists in order to fit in to Black/PoC conversations isn’t a personality. Too many of them try way too hard to be *in* on our jokes, like shitting on white racists is the magical key to getting in with the Cool Blacks™.

RELATED: ​​I have no interest in “white allies”

Allies, save us some trouble: When we are addressing Black people and the Black experience IN BLACK SPACES, now is not the time to jump in with something clever you heard a Black person say on TikTok or Twitter who has probably been doing this way longer than you have. And it is NEVER a good time to provide such over-enthusiastic input on “Those” white people while actively NOT checking your own behavior.

Pro-tip: Part of advocating for marginalized groups to have more spaces means letting them have the space to enjoy it.

You know… amongst themselves.

You’re socially aware. Great. We get it. Now learn to give us some room.

Gamer, geek, and social activist. JeCorey Holder has been weaving tapestries of shade and fury since the early 2000’s. Pro-LGBTQ, pro-black, and pro intersectional feminism, he is full of feelings and opinions that try to call out and tear down the oppressive status quo.