Features Jul 20, 2016 at 4:00 am

Is Seattle Artist Natasha Marin's Social Experiment, Reparations.me, Just a White Savior Arena?

The site triggers a series of complicated questions with no ready answers. Does Reparations.me ultimately transform white guilt into a kind of Groupon for people of color? mike force

Comments

1
Whaa?

Didn't "The Stranger" already run this story? Yes, the date at the top says "July 20" (and, for those of you reading this far in the future, today is "July 28"). I seem to even remember reading comments under the original story (stories -- there were two, right?), but now the comment thread is brand-spanking new? This story didn't elicit the hoped for comments the first time? At least when "The Atlantic" sneaks an old article onto its "Most Popular" list, it keeps the (sometimes years) old comments below it.
2
A black woman selling white guilt indulgences LOL.
3
So how about this:

Instead of turning this entire act into a religious expiation of original sin on the part of evil, guilty, white people towards angelic blacks, and imbuing the whole process of giving with racial and cultural overtones, why not just give?

There are lots of people out there who need help. They come in all ages, genders, races, and orientations. Some of them are even straight white men! (Yes, I know, Shock! Straight white men can't ever have anything tough, right? They're all walking embodiments of privilege, right?)

Find them. Get to know them. Understand their problems. Listen, and help in the best way you can. Forget about their race. Forget about their gender. Those things are irrelevant.

Can we not focus on their humanity instead of their label?
4
Incidentally, there are a lot of privileged black people out there too. Black women, even. Presumably Ms. Marin, who has the skills and the resources to run this site, is one of them.

Perhaps she ought to reorient her own work towards helping those in need rather than fueling racist categories of thought (i.e. thinking in terms of race).
5
"Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away... God wills that it continue until... every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword,"
- Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address

The price of slavery was paid in full. At this point, demanding money because of skin color is greedy, racist spitting on the graves of everyone who died to end slavery in this country.

Please wait...

Comments are closed.

Commenting on this item is available only to members of the site. You can sign in here or create an account here.


Add a comment
Preview

By posting this comment, you are agreeing to our Terms of Use.