In his powerful essay, John Metta writes: “There are no black and white answers. There is just a long, hard, emotionally exhausting journey of self-evaluation, critical thinking, and cultural study. . . . When you ask that, they know the burden is on them to make your journey easier, and that they are expected to do it for free. They know their time has no value to you––that you don’t know, and possibly don’t care, how many times they’ve been asked to do this before. They know that whatever pain they feel from their own emotional navigation of these issues, it is immaterial to your desire to be taught about it in a way that is quick and convenient.”
When you walk into the valley: on allies asking to be taught about race
by lindaoppenheim | May 21, 2017 | Opinion | 1 comment
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Worth reading, including the nuanced comments.
Yes, it sucks to hear demands, not polite requests, and it sucks to be overwhelmed with questions on a raw topic.
Hopefully it’s OK to politely ask, and it’s OK to politely pass.