Comments

1. LizzyGetBusy wrote:

   I come to Racialicious because it is a safe and challenging space. I come preiodically during my work day to destress and it serves as a confirmation that I am not alone in the way I see the world. This being said, it also challenges me to question things I take for granted, it challenges me to think about how I am affected by all the negative shit that happens at work, on the street, at home. Racist, sexist and bigoted things are said constantly and without question in most spaces, the fact that they stand out on this site means that you are doing something right. Thank you so much for providing a reaffirming space where I don’t have to constantly question and undermine my thoughts and feelings. Let’s keep on challenging ourselves!

   Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 9:48 am ¶

2. kakodaimon wrote:

   It occurred to me that pretty much all the discourse about race I hear on a day to day level comes from (other) whites, whether they consider themselves anti-racist or are openly racist themselves. That struck me as a pretty idiotic situation… the craziness recently in the feminist blogosphere also had me changing who I read in a big way.

   I am trying to stick to not commenting at Racialicious, although sometimes I can’t keep my mouth shut (like now… sigh). Shutting up and listening and figuring out how to override those moments of “but…” or “OOOH, ME!” seems a pretty important part of not being a racist tool.

   That said, back to lurking!

   Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 9:53 am ¶

3. cosmicsistren wrote:

   I stumbled on this website from another blog. I liked the articles but I like the comments from posters even more.

   Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 9:53 am ¶

4. TierList E wrote:

   Co-sign with #1.

   I stumbled into this site after a crummy day and I was in love ever since.

   Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 10:06 am ¶

5. Threadbared wrote:

   I stumbled upon this site doing a Google search for “race” and “fashion” during a “I don’t want to write my book but I’ll sit in front of my computer” moment. I actually linked to several posts from this site on my fashion + theory + politics blog, and I’ve been coming back everyday.

   I actually teach about race and popular culture, too, so I might even assign this blog to my students for regular reading.

   Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 10:07 am ¶

6. Mickey wrote:

   I come here to fill in the gaps that my TX public school education left behind.

   

   Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 10:08 am ¶

7. atlasien wrote:

   My number one reason is that people of color can have discussions with each other here on relatively equal footing.

   As an example… I’ve been on Asian sites where I was really disturbed at anti-black and anti-mixed race sentiments. I’ve also been to black blogs and sites where really vicious and racist things are said about Asians.

   I just can’t tolerate that kind of stuff when it’s just left there unchallenged. It depresses me even more than the typical white racist spew.

   This environment is great because 1) we don’t assume that everyone has the same problems, or that we’re fighting the same battles 2) we can comment on each others’ issues in a (mostly) respectful manner and find out where they’re the same and where they’re different.

   Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 10:09 am ¶

8. smadin wrote:

   Me, I’m a hetero white male. I’m mainly here to keep my mouth shut, read, and learn. I’d like to consider myself an anti-racist activist, but I don’t know as I have any right to that title; I suspect I understand too little, and I know I’m not active enough.

   Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 10:09 am ¶

9. evita wrote:

   I stay on racialiscous because I enjoy reading critical discourse on issues of race and gender and its intersections through a lens that has detoxed the mainstream koolaid. ie: No we can’t all be racist and yes there is a difference between personal and institutional racism….

   What I don’t like are the issues postings about comic books… but whatever we can’t all get what what we want.

   Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 10:10 am ¶

10. Slush wrote:

    1. Attraction to Racialicious is that’s it’s an awesome blog that covers tons of topics, has really intelligent and articulate comments, deep and challenging discussion, a healthy dose of daily feminism, consistent recognition of multiplicity of racial experiences and backgrounds, a sense of community, and a crucially important mission/niche.

    2. Despite some complaining on the subject, Racialicious is a singularly excellent resource for white folks like me to learn about the experiences of people of color, to all the extents that they are similar and divergent. I can be as empathetic, as allied, as self-aware, and as committed to anti-racism as I possibly can, but I can’t intuit all the personal experiences and reactions of people who don’t have the same white privilege I do, not without their articulating it. And, as was discussed in a thread this week, it’s often not easy to talk about and many POC are fed up explaining. Well I don’t blame you for being burnt out, but I thank you for rehashing it online so that some of us can keep learning.

    @Kakodaimon & smadin:
    Good for you lurking. I can’t keep my mouth shut much worse than you.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 10:17 am ¶

11. StuffBlackPeopleLike wrote:

    There is an old technique that we learned in school when we are on fire… Stop, Drop & Roll.

    Stop by Racialicious to:

    Stop~ thinking you have all the answers.
    Drop~ your preconceptions and misconceptions at the door.
    Roll~ the comments and input around in your dome, allow it to marinate and do your part to leave this place better then we found it.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 10:27 am ¶

12. ras wrote:

    I was on a big parenting blog about a year and a half ago when some major discussions on race starting taking place. I was totally blind-sided by some people’s absolute determination to hold onto their own racist perspectives and had to leave.

    I then found antiracistparent.com and lurk on there as well as here to listen and learn so I can be better prepared when my “liberal, white” contemporaries start spewing nonsense.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 10:34 am ¶

13. Cara wrote:

    I came to Racialicious in 2005 while researching for a professor who was writing a piece on POC Blogs. She sent me to a few popular blogs like, angryasianman.com, theangryblackwoman.com, etc., and…racialicious.com. I was studying for my Master’s in Ethnic Studies and I had a profound interest in the intersectionalities or Race and Pop Culture, so this site helped me tremendously.

    I visit everyday because it is a space where I can be challanged on some of my preconseptions of Race, Racism and Sexism…..and a space where my input is welcomed and I a reassured taht I’m not the only one who sees that there is a peculiar problem with how race and racism are categorized and rationalized by many ppl.

    It keeps me up on the news and readings that I need in order to continue to educate myself and others.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 10:35 am ¶

14. TM wrote:

    I come here to lurk and learn. As a hetero white male I haven’t been steeped in anti-racism, don’t have any resources in popular media, and am often oblivious to our society’s more subtle (and sometimes the not-so-subtle) racism. I initially came to this site trying to learn to be more observant and actively anti-racist as I researched about transracial adoption. Now, though, I stay because I feel like I’m deprogramming myself and learning about my own privilege. Perhaps it’s the anonymity that appeals to me. I’m still not sure about my place in anti-racism, or rather what place I have in speaking on race issues, but it’s nice to learn about race issues without fear of coming off as a huge jackass.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 10:41 am ¶

15. Charli wrote:

    I heard Racialicious on NPR one day, and I thought the comments were very thought provoking and dead-on. The next day, angry listeners chimed in, and I knew I had to check the blog out. Since then, I’ve been coming back again and again to read articles that continuously challenge my perspective and help me better understand how I can be an anti-racist activist.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 10:49 am ¶

16. Alexandra wrote:

    This has been said but what I enjoy most about this blog is its intersectionality deals with all sorts of ism’s and that is a safe space for people of color to express their opinions which I have found to be seriously lacking elsewhere. This blog has also given me a lot of tools to explain why something is wrong instead of knowing its wrong. And finally realizing that I am not being over-sensitive about these issues, so I just want to say thanks for this great blog.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 10:51 am ¶

17. WestEndGirl wrote:

    My primary reason in coming to Racialicious to listen and to understand and to be challenged on issues around race/predjudice and culture. I also lurked here for a good year plus before my first post!

    Another big driver, is that it helps me more generally in trying to understand the US!

    The US is a baffling place for a Brit – so so similar to the UK, but so very very different! Sometimes I don’t think you guys get how much you set the ‘tone’ and policy for the world in terms of media, politics etc, so ignoring you is not an option!

    I also find that it helps me to understand the wider cultural context of the US, so when I business travel to Houston, Dallas, NY, Washington DC etc etc I am conscious of some of the issues/sensitivities that may not apply or are different to the UK. It’s basically homework so that I’m not ignorant!!

    Now if the average US tourist could just do the same when they visit us……I’d be laughing!

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 10:53 am ¶

18. Jacqueline wrote:

    For me, Racialicious is like sitting down with a group of my friends and family and talking; necessary bread, if you will.

    My expectation is that my boundaries will be pushed, reshaped, reinforced, and re-envisioned all at the same time.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 10:55 am ¶

19. Elton wrote:

    Unfortunately, I’m not exposed to a lot of intelligent, well-informed opinions on race in my offline life, so I come to the virtual world to get something that should exist offline, but doesn’t.

    Specifically, I’m interested in figuring things out from the Asian-American male perspective, and this site is a welcome relief from mainstream messages on how we should live our lives, which pretty much boil down to: assimilate, assimilate, assimilate. After being told all my life that my point of view doesn’t matter or doesn’t even exist, and that my problems don’t matter, it’s nice to come to a place where people actually question the standard colorblind-melting pot-assimilation-post racial-race doesn’t matter bullshit.

    I guess what it comes down to, really, is that here, at Racialicious, the points of view of people of color matter, whereas in the mainstream media, even when they talk about race, and even when people of color are the ones moving their mouths, it’s still the predominant white point of view that’s being advocated. This is a point of view that says post-Martin Luther King America has no racial problems whatsoever and that racism, even if it does still exist in isolated regions, consists of individual acts of petty meanness. That’s not taking racism seriously.

    Here at Racialicious, we take race and racism in pop culture very seriously, because that’s where messages have the most power to reach a mainstream audience. That’s where racism is disseminated and diluted, recycled and reused.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 10:56 am ¶

20. Angel wrote:

    I recently found this blog through a link from Feministing and I found myself identifying a lot with what was discussed. I’m a black female and I’ve lived my entire life in a predominantly white area trying to figure what it means when I’m one of maybe three other black kids in my class or social groups. I’m also lighter skinned so often enough I’ve had people question my history to find out “what I am” or put me in a box.

    I like that here I get a view of situations not just pertitnent to PoC and it broadens my view of racism and discrimination. I feel like here, I can define what my race means to me rather than what other people think it should mean to me.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 11:05 am ¶

21. Beth wrote:

    I first came to Racialicious from AntiRacist Parent some months ago when researching transracial adoption. I love how the writing is both challenging and open to discussion. It makes me look at my own privilege and how I view the world and my place in it (and how much I say I). I admit, I was one of the “I don’t care if you are black, white, or green” colorblind people. I didn’t understand what was wrong with that viewpoint. I think I understand now, and it is for such transformational shifts like that that I keep reading Racialicious and AntiRacistParent. I, like many of the other white readers, mostly lurk and learn. I am both white and Native American, although from looking at me you would never know. The topics here really make me realize how much there is to learn about my own identity and how, no matter what box I check on a form, I have no idea what other people are experiencing. I want to be actively anti-racist, but realize I have so much more to learn. Thank you for making me see that you have to get over yourself to even try to start understanding how entrenched and subtle racism is and that I really don’t know anything yet. So back to shutting up and lurking for me.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 11:11 am ¶

22. zack wrote:

    I come here because I like to think with you and your great ideas and energy in my work as an educator. “The true task of education” Alfred North Whitehead cautioned, “is to abjure stale knowledge.” “Knowledge doesn’t keep any better than fish,” he said, “We need to keep it alive, vital and potent.”

    I want to keep bringing “alive, vital and potent” ideas to the communities I hang out with and you help me do that.

    I work with youth of color in Boston on a mission to catalyze cultural change around what’s possible to achieve — providing what is necessary for them to be the innovators and inventors, rather than the consumers of technology and science. I am also writing a dissertation on what and how people learn by trying to make change in their communities, especially when those efforts involve coalitions that have people of color in leadership and involve a meaningful mix of race/ethnicity/class.

    Thank you for letting me listen for change in your community.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 11:30 am ¶

23. e wrote:

    I came to Mixed Media Watch because as a multiracial person, I was interested in how mixed people were being portrayed in the media, and it helped me keep up on the news and realities of being mixed. I was a little sad when the blog changed format, but I love Racialcious.

    I come to Racialicious because as a WOC, I feel like this blog gives me a lot of food for thought. I read because I don’t get a lot of intelligent discussion about race and the media in my “real life” — I live in a predominately White area of the US. I don’t participate often because I don’t feel like I have absorbed enough to become part of the conversation yet.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 11:41 am ¶

24. Jasmine wrote:

    I’m here to stop, drop, and roll, as StuffBlackPeopleLike put it. I contributed a few posts on television, so I have an interest in media especially. I also tend to tag stuff for the site via del.icio.us, so I always check to see if any of my tips made the daily link post.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 11:43 am ¶

25. Ori wrote:

    I don’t remember how I found Racialicious but I’m glad I did. I got tired of reading blogs that didn’t reflect me or my interests, especially when I began to notice the (not so) subtle racism found in a lot of the blogs I read. Incidentally, I want to become an anthropologist and my main interests in the field are race, gender, and identity formation. Racialicious provides me with a safe, welcoming space and a way to feed that anthropological hunger of mine.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 11:54 am ¶

26. William wrote:

    Racialicious.com is a place where the heavy media images thrown at us each day are broken down and dissected so that we can better understand how we interact with each other and ourselves.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 12:00 pm ¶

27. chi wrote:

    Much of the reason why I come to Racialicious has already been expressed, which further highlights why I love this site. Though I’m still much of a lurker (I feel somewhat anxious at the thought of posting — something to work on…), I enjoy the comfort of knowing that I’m not “taking things too seriously” or dwelling heavily on the past, as I’m often told offline. Racism, sexism/genderism, classicm, homophobia — all these things are insidious, and incredibly relevant, aspects of our society and it’s critical to be able to discuss them openly and honestly, from an objective standpoint. It took a long time for me to realize that many things aren’t unique to my experiences and wholly affect others.

    I’d love to see to a post on how to translate the vocab/jargon/language of anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-injustice activism into our everyday language, particularly when we encounter those to which these ideas are novel and alien.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 12:00 pm ¶

28. EJ wrote:

    I found Racialicious from the nyt article about mixed race a couple months back. I don’t do blogs very much because i dont like getting caught up in other people’s opinions before forming my own. But racialicious really reflects what i feel and think about race and as a mixed race person, its great that it encompasses the POC perspective as opposed to white/’insert race here’ paradigm. It’s like always having a good conversation to jump into…

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 12:02 pm ¶

29. LM wrote:

    Thanks for the shout. I’m still here almost every day to see what’s up and to look for fresh ways of viewing and talking about all these issues.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 12:06 pm ¶

30. mulheresperta wrote:

    I found Racialicious through Feministing (I think, it’s been a while now). I read every day but don’t comment (usually) because I want to listen and learn. I’m a white woman who grew up in a very ethnically diverse area and now lives in a rural, 84% white, supposedly liberal town in northern CA that is full of subtle racism. The college town that hosts reggae show after reggae show is also the town where two black women got harassed on the plaza, and not 20 miles away an auto-detailing shop owner got run out of town for calling his business “Mex City”… Anyhoo, it pisses me off and I want to be part of the solution, to use a cliche.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 12:08 pm ¶

31. johnjihoonchang wrote:

    I came to Racialicious via AngryAsianMan, because I’ve a heart for racial reconciliation and my particular career track puts me in the middle of the entertainment business. So race+pop culture discourse is beneficial to my mission, keeps me ready to discuss matters of race especially insofar as it deals with media and entertainment and this is also a good source for race-issues news.

    Sometimes the discussions are interesting as well.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 12:15 pm ¶

32. Rachel wrote:

    I started lurking here earlier this year. Having just finished college, I started to notice that my life really lacks diversity and any sense of what’s going on with race. I came here to learn and develop some of my own informed opinions.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 12:24 pm ¶

33. Wren wrote:

    I’m a lurker. I lurk well-in my every day, I keep my persona non-grata status on tempo…and this site disrupts my invisibility, my need to blend–gives me the opportunity to revision the world beyond and inclusive of my identity as a mixed woman. So, thanks.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 12:29 pm ¶

34. Ali wrote:

    I remember exactly how and why I stumbled upon Racialicious (then Mixed Media Watch). I had just watched Johnson Family Vacation (I swear I was forced against my will) and was googling the hot Native American guy from the museum scene. Thanks to this site I learned that Jason Momoa is actually of mixed API and Caucasian ethnicity and the good times have kept on rolling since then.

    I was initially drawn to this site because I felt isolated, alienated, misunderstood, and passive aggressively silenced in my community (and at home). After spending most of my formative years trying to assimilate I realized I was still on the outside looking in and feeling more alone than ever.

    I lurked here for over a year before posting my first comment.

    The community at this site has given me language with which to express years of frustration. It has provided an outlet where I can commiserate with like minds, find validation in my struggles, and challenge my self in ways I didn’t know I needed to be challenged. It has given me a framework for understanding my personal struggles, attitudes and responsibilities.

    I have gained invaluable insight and understanding from the members of this community and the conversations that take place here. I have decided on a course of study for grad school because of this site. Racialicious has literally changed my life and the way I think about and view myself and my surroundings.

    I always knew shit was fucked up, Racialicious helped me understand why and what I can do about it. The conversations and commenters here have shown me that I am not overreacting or hallucinating about the racism that I experience and am exposed to on a daily basis. They have confirmed that racism is real and I have every right to object.

    Racialicious (combined with the wake up call of moving to Brooklyn) have challenged me to acknowledge and take responsibility for my own privilege. I have learned how to properly spell privilege (!), I could go on and on.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 12:36 pm ¶

35. Carmen Van Kerckhove wrote:

    @Charli – What topic was the NPR segment on? I didn’t realize I ever provoked angry listeners calling in, so I’m just curious.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 12:38 pm ¶

36. Morgan wrote:

    i came to racialicious as a regular lurker during the who AM/BFP/Seal Press brouhaha through a link from feministing, i try and read it regularly because it challenges a lot of the complacency and privilege i absorb in my daily life that really flared up in that whole situation.
    it has been really helpful for me as a way of breaking down certain misconceptions and unexamined ways of thinking, esp. about white privilege.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 12:38 pm ¶

37. Casey C wrote:

    As a white anti-racist ally, I am here to shut up and learn what I can. Racialicious is one of those few blogs that I consistently check for updates and follow the comments section closely. There’s a level of respect for the basic humanity of others people that I don’t see in a lot of other online discussions.

    And now I go back to the “shutting up” part. Cheers, Racialicious!

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 12:39 pm ¶

38. sylvie wrote:

    i come to Racialicious because in my everyday life, i have few friends of color with whom i can discuss these kinds of topics. with my caucasian friends, i feel like i can’t say what i want without being pegged the “angry minority.” and a lot of times they don’t even want to talk about race which is obviously very different from the white anti-racists who frequent this site. i think it’s hard enough trying to find conversation partners when it comes to these topics. Racialicious creates that forum for me.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 12:46 pm ¶

39. JD/ formerly J wrote:

    I am here because it is a safe place to express my opinions on race and hear others without being made to feel like I think/talk about it too much. I come from an African background that sometimes trivializes one’s feelings about Blackness…(perhaps because in a majority Black context it does not matter as much?) but when I moved to the US for college I was bombarded with the issue from all ends. This is a healthy outlet for me to work through the issue with other people who are in different places that I can learn from….
    p.s. I was mostly a lurker for the first year…lol

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 12:53 pm ¶

40. CVT wrote:

    Echoing atlasien.

    It’s hard to find a “place” where there’s an actual diversity of opinion on experience. Somewhere where every angle is acknowledged and represented. It keeps me from getting too full of myself and my own experiences – a good reality check to make sure I’m up on all things f**ed-up, without contributing to make them more so.

    It’s also a nice, safe place for me to spout off when I need to (and possibly, actually be heard).

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 1:03 pm ¶

41. Eva wrote:

    I come here because I want to learn, I’m black, female and 48. You’re never to old to learn something new.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 1:05 pm ¶

42. Crogirl wrote:

    I don’t remember how I found Racialicious, but I was very intrigued by the posts I found, as well as the community that comments. It’s a very diverse bunch, and it’s interesting to read about how different people interpret different things. As well, every day I learn something new about others, and most importantly, about myself and my own preconceived ideas about race and all the other -isms. It’s great to be connected to such a positive forum. I think more discussions of these types need to happen to make some real change in this country, in this world.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 1:08 pm ¶

43. gatamala wrote:

    The posts….and comments like these!!

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 1:35 pm ¶

44. miwome wrote:

    I’m new to Racialicious.

    I grew up in a very white suburb (with a large Asian and South Asian minority–fairly typical of the area). I went for six years to an urban private school, again very white, that was nonetheless deeply concerned with its own diversity. We heard all the buzzwords and sometimes it was laughably over the top, but one thing I will say for my school is that they did make us talk–sometimes to a discomfiting point. We didn’t just sit and say we should all just get along.

    That discussion has been largely left behind since I went to college–my friends here are largely white, just as they were in high school (I’d say maybe a notch more diverse as a group, and certainly more diverse in origin), but our university doesn’t exactly push the issue. Particularly since I go to the University of Chicago, an elite, mostly white institution on the South Side of Chicago, I don’t feel comfortable acting like there’s nothing going on. I come here to participate in a discussion about race again, to learn, and to hear what other people have to say.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 1:46 pm ¶

45. Jann wrote:

    I stumbled on Racialicious from the migrant rights blog community. I was in love from day one – I read this blog everyday (ok I check it 3 or more times a day).

    I am a migrant rights activists and have become extremely burnt out by the overt racism and and hate speech from “immigration restrictionsts” and their fellow travelers. Racialicious provides a safe place to decompress, challenge my perspectives and sincerely explore issues of race in society, free from the distracting bombardment of disingenuous racist talking points spewed by the anti-immigrant activists. The contributors and posters here are smart, genuine – wonderful. Thanks for this great blog.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 2:00 pm ¶

46. MaryLauran wrote:

    I have so much anger about the state of race relations in this country and its pervasive influence that results in the nominal determination of self-proclaimed liberals to eradicate racial prejudice without ever engaging in difficult dialogs or introspectively questioning their own racism. I am angry at the social system that reinforces and enables those attitudes. I am angry that I constantly fall back into racist perspectives, assumptions, and attitudes. I am angry at my own complacency even as I’m aware of how pissed off I am at my own complacency. I am angry that when the time comes to confront racist attitudes in myself and in others, I often lack the confidence and words to counter such deeply-rooted beliefs. Racialicious challenges me, forces me to question the constant racism that surrounds me and lives in me, gives words to some of the concepts that I wish I could express, forces me to see and consider points of view that rarely make it to the front page of the New York Times. Like a lot of other people who have written on this thread, I’m mainly a lurker; this is my first comment. But I value this blog because I have some belief that maybe what I learn here will help me to kick myself in the ass and have the strength to fight harder. I don’t really even know what fighting against racism means, yet; that’s another reason I’m here. To learn.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 2:11 pm ¶

47. Bekka wrote:

    I started visiting Racialicious after the glowing review it received in Bitch about a year back. Since then I return almost daily to get a dose of smart, funny, and engaging commentary on race and its intersection with popular culture. I am especially excited by how the site is infused with very progressive feminist messages. I am a white anti-racist activist who was more “active” in these conversations during my college years. Even though I do not have the opportunity to dialog on a regular basis anymore, this blog is a place where I can read what others are thinking about how power and privilege are embedded in current events and the media. It helps me stimulate conversations with family and friends with varying interests and continue to challenge myself on a daily basis.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 2:14 pm ¶

48. deathblossom wrote:

    I came for pretty much the same reason you outlined. The school I attend has a very low black population that is extremely segregated (and I mean, extremely. Almost all the black people on campus live side-by-side in two parts of a six part dorm, one part with black men and the other with black women) . Living in a different dorm, personal difficulties, and being a hardcore homebody has pretty much left me without a social network in a place with classes where I’m often The Only One, and it got to the point that the many instances of subtle racism and ignorance in an institution that thinks itself above such left me with no outlet to vent and a lot of self-doubt. So in an effort to connect with people who see and deal with the same problems I do, to educate myself about the problems affecting not only my race, but other POC, and to confront my own internalized self-hatred and doubt, I started to search for racially-centered blogs. It’s helped a lot, both personally and as a source of news about politics and world affairs.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 2:30 pm ¶

49. becca b wrote:

    I had a friend who was a sociology major and would bring up racial issues and ask me things like, “You do realize you have white privelige, right? RIGHT?” To which I would reply, “Ummm…”, since I didn’t really have a clear concept of what he was talking about. It made me feel accused and uncomfortable. I ended up having a conversation about it with another friend, who was and is very active in the feminist blogosphere and was able to point me to a lot of helpful resources, including this blog. I read Racialicious because I am trying to educate myself about race and racism in order to help break down barriers of ignorance and fear that have hindered my ability to ‘love my neighbor as myself’.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 2:33 pm ¶

50. Jennifer Gandin Le wrote:

    I’m here for so many reasons. To learn, to listen, to have my thoughts and understanding challenged and stretched. To learn about other ways people are chipping away at the systems of patriarchy and privilege. A lot of the pop culture stuff is just plain fun (I’m still chuckling over the Keanu banter from last week). I always appreciate the combination of feminist and anti-racist viewpoints.

    Overall, Racialicious’s content and commenters are consistently top notch, thoughtful, provocative, and just plain awesome. Y’all maintain an editorially excellent blog while keeping it relevant and easy to read.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 2:34 pm ¶

51. marge twain wrote:

    I found this site in January through an old Bitch Magazine and lurked for a while before beginning to comment.
    I so greatly appreciate having a place to read stimulating and often funny pop culture critique from a true progressive perspective: one that acknowledges the multiplicity of race and ethnic identity, the intersection of race and class, and honors the lives and issues of women of color.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 2:39 pm ¶

52. Georgina V wrote:

    Another white female who comes here to read, learn and shut up! I stay because I need learning, and because this is simply some of the best writing out there on race and intersectionality; both the essayists, the mods and the commenters are fiercely intelligent, thoughtful, and reflexive.

    I am also from the UK and find the US perspective really useful, given the differences in racial dynamics between here and there (let alone mainland Europe etc etc). I lived in the US a while back, and may do again if my work leads me there, so find the perspective that you provide here to be extremely valuable. It would be ace also if/when you bring in some guest bloggers from the UK to provide a British view.

    I think I found you during the Seal Press stuff though it may have been earlier.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 2:53 pm ¶

53. Maati wrote:

    I came to Racialicious because my best friend sent me a link on some article about about race. I can’t remember the article. But after reading the posts & reading some many diverse & intelligent comments on issues besides race, I became a fan of the blog & happily remain so.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 2:59 pm ¶

54. Zoe wrote:

    I am a white Midwestern girl who Media Studies (i.e. watching TV) and minored in American Studies (i.e. watching TV and deconstructing its racism) and so this blog, with its look at popular culture, seemed like a perfect fit.

    It also keeps me conscious and not-lazy. I don’t often feel like I am doing enough to earn the title anti-racist activist, and I am probably not, but as long as I read blogs like this I will be reminded of why that is important to me and why I always need to do more.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 3:02 pm ¶

55. Ayo wrote:

    I come to Racialicious because it helps to balance out the dominating perspectives in the world. By no means do I think Racialicious has all the answers, but also by no means do I think a white dominated society has all the answers either – and that is the one that we’re all living in at the moment.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 3:11 pm ¶

56. Lauren O wrote:

    Count me with the other white folks who are here trying to listen and learn without commenting much.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 3:33 pm ¶

57. Kirk Van Irvin wrote:

    I came to Racialicious because I heard Carmen in NPR. She was talking about Bi- racial relationships and having brothers, a sister, and a nephew who are biracial, I stayed to listen , and that’s when she commented about Racialicious, So I stopped by to see what was up. Reading the blog I have learned a lot about how women feel about feminism and sexism. I have learned that while I don’t think I’m sexist, I do harbor paternalistic views. Reading The blog has given me insight about how I think about it and work on how it affects other people around me.

    (Side note to Latoya: you touched on your long standing prejudices. If you haven’t done it yet, maybe you can set up a thread on racism from POC’s. and how they deal with it. I have people around me who swear up and down about how black people can’t be racist solely because they are black. I’ve been around enough to to know tat is definitely not the case.)

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 3:34 pm ¶

58. red wrote:

    Two big reasons why I like racialicious.

    First, it’s that race and popular culture thing. Looking at race and racism as it is reflected in the real world makes this site different. Sometimes sites that deal with race can seem a bit abstract. The posts here have a real context – and you take a broad definition of culture too.

    chi said: I’d love to see to a post on how to translate the vocab/jargon/language of anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-injustice activism into our everyday language, particularly when we encounter those to which these ideas are novel and alien.

    The second point is that I think racialicious actually does what chi talks about here pretty well. I came here – can’t remember the route – after clicking round a lot of sites about racism, sexism etc. And quite a bit of what I read on some of these sites drove me up the wall. That special language or jargon is what I tend to think of as academic-speak. Aaarrrrgghh!

    It’s probbly great if you live or usually discuss things like race in the bubble of a university black studies/womens studies/queer theory dept. Now I’m not knocking these university departments – it is a mark of progress that we have them. But if you don’t live in the academic ivory tower, it’s all a bit offputting – it makes it hard to participate as a reader let alone comment, to be honest. I haven’t got degree in black studies, women’s studies (or anything else, sadly) and I haven’t got the handy dictionary – and if I did, I probably wouldn’t use it.

    To me, academic-speak on race doesn’t really cut it if you’re talking to your mates/people at work/strangers in the street. Or not my street anyway. Yes some of the special words are important because people have battled away for non-discriminatory language – but that feeling that the stuff I’m reading on blogs doesn’t translate to an ordinary conversation I might have offline is a reason why some of those blogs aren’t really for me.

    I reckon Racialicious gets this right. It is all a bit more grounded here. The posts are intelligent, but also written in a way that’s good to read and not in language from another planet. The people commenting have a range of different ways of putting things and different views. The discussion has a lot more life in it because of that I think.

    I know there are plenty of professors and other highly educated people on Racialicious, and I don’t mean to offend anyone – it is a sweeping generalisation about the language, sorry. But most writers and commenters here – academic or not – seem to get their points across without coming over all ‘purer than thou’ about the terms they use. Some people go for the more academic or jargony phrasing and some don’t – it’s much better with the variety. That’s something about the atmosphere on this site I think.

    It really is more like talking with your friends here – including the threads where there is real argument, like the Nader post earlier this week.

    Big thanks to all at racialicious and all the commenters. Keep it up – cos it’s good stuff here.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 3:38 pm ¶

59. red wrote:

    sorry that was long – I don’t usually comment…

    *looks at feet*

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 3:39 pm ¶

60. EvilAngelfish wrote:

    I think I stumbled upon Racialicious by accident while searching for a cure for what I like to call ‘race-traitor guilt’ over a year ago – I’ve checked it at least once nearly every day since. There are so many things I love about this site: the intelligent, thought-provoking, status-quo challenging articles, the examinations of pop culture through PoC lenses, the keen observations on and dissections of social injustices – there’s just so much good stuff here – but what I appreciate most is the awesome little community formed by the readers, contributors and editrixes. Being a part of this online community makes me not only want to enlighten others but to enlighten and edify myself as well. I don’t think I can say that about any other form of media I consume on a regular basis.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 3:43 pm ¶

61. Penni Brown wrote:

    I consider Racialicious a ‘friend in my head’ (Thanks Wendy Williams!) Every morning I get to work and check out the new posts here. I consider this a source of news. I’ve found many other great sites just by following the links here.

    I might have to take a break though, b/c I have found myself obsessed with certain topics. Case in Point – I was in Potbelly’s in Reston yesterday and when the young white guy had his order taken before me, even though I was in line first, I mumbled ‘white privilege’. The order taker was like, ‘what’s that?’ I simply replied, ‘I was here first.’

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 3:50 pm ¶

62. Fyori wrote:

    I’ve been coming to this site for a year or two now, but I don’t remember how. I like learning about the perspectives of race, gender, and culture from others. It’s as simple as that.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 3:54 pm ¶

63. The Cruel Secretary wrote:

    Jacqueline said:
    For me, Racialicious is like sitting down with a group of my friends and family and talking; necessary bread, if you will.

    Exactly. For me, Racialicious isn’t only necessary bread; it’s the online version of breaking bread with (mostly) kindred spirits. And the bread-breaking comes complete with bawdy, raucous laughter, some hugs, and some chair-throwing.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 4:00 pm ¶

64. NancyP wrote:

    I think I came here through the Bitch article. There aren’t too many sites discussing race where participation by all races and ethnicities is encouraged AND is thoughtful and polite. I am a fairly standard middle-aged white woman from Midwestern cities which I now recognize are not the norm (more segregated than most cities of comparable size) – Cincinnati and St. Louis, with a short stint in Toledo. Discussions about race are usually fairly radioactive in those cities, and some of the problem is lack of knowledge and lack of imagination and empathy on the part of whites. I am here to learn.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 4:50 pm ¶

65. Black Canseco wrote:

    got invited by Carmen to check it out and occassionally submit stuff. been here ever since.

    Like the diverse views, the articulation of the commentors, the back n forth, etc.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 4:58 pm ¶

66. Winn wrote:

    It’s thrilling to see how many commenters are relatively new visitors, or are de-lurking for the first time, to proclaim their love for this blog. Like a few others, I’ve been here since the blog was still Mixed Media Watch, drawn to it because it was one of the few places that tackled issues of mixed race identity and representation with breadth and depth, as well as larger issues of concern to POC (and I’m not even mixed race, but my children will be). I love the diversity of voices, the passion of opinion, the vigilance of the editors in maintaining this as a place of safety as well as a place open to dissent and divergent ideas. There are some whip-smart people that both contribute posts and comment regularly, and some damn funny people as well (often they are one and the same!). Racialicious is a daily stop for me, and I know I will laugh, shake my head, get pissed, bang my head on the keyboard, or cheer someone on for fighting the good fight. This site has excited me, shaken me up, gotten me far more dedicated to the activist life than I ever was before. Most importantly, it’s gotten me away from the computer: to the streets, into community centers and in front of city halls, directly engaging in the social change that I want to bring to fruition. And ultimately, it has broadened my scope, while honing my dedication to my own community to a fine point. Through Racialicious, I found not just TheAngryBlackWoman, The Field Negro, or Rachel’s Tavern, but also AngryAsianMan, Sepia Mutiny, Blue Corn Comics, and lots of other sites I might never have visited, and perspectives I might never have so appreciated and learned so much from. Not to belabor the point, but I actually think this site has made me a better person. Or at the very least, a better informed, more expansive, more inclusive and more motivated one.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 5:14 pm ¶

67. Michelle wrote:

    I only recently stumbled across this site in my online efforts to educate myself about racism, and bookmarked it because I loved both the interesting discussions and the predominantly positive, respectful vibe.

    It’s fast becoming a favorite.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 5:25 pm ¶

68. Joseph wrote:

    One night a few months ago out of pure frustration I googled “Arab-American + Pop Culture”…and there you were.

    Others have already said how great this “space” is and I can only add that it is also rare–on and off-line–to be part of a welcoming, self-reflective community that talks about anything, let alone race.

    I’m grateful.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 5:42 pm ¶

69. Aim wrote:

    I stumbled upon Racialicious quite by accident: it was recommended to me in the sidebar of Google Reader based on my blog subscriptions.

    I’ve remained because this is a fantastic place to continue learning. We all need to learn, and none of us are “finished” unlearning racism.

    I am engaged to a mixed-race POC with white skin privilege. I quickly learned I had a lot to learn about my partner’s unique experience in the world. I was an Ethnic Studies major, and came out of college thinking I knew quite a bit about race and racism. Now, nearly 15 years later, I have some concept about just how much I don’t yet know. The older I get, the less I think I know about the world, and other folks’ experiences in it.

    Sitting and listening is a good way to learn.

    Thanks for being here for me to learn from.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 5:42 pm ¶

70. coco wrote:

    my boyfriend was mixed-race, and he would try to talk to me about being rejected by kids at school for being too white, but i couldn’t relate. all could think to say was “at least I saw him as black” (like me). he’d just look at me, and then say i wasn’t listening.

    i originally came to mixed media watch for some insight, but i stayed for keanu…and the creation of racialicious.

    he and I also had some class issues to work out, but i was way more resistant to recognizing those issues. (i was all “but you went to a great college, and now you’re middle class!”) we broke up before that could be resolved meaningfully. and i didn’t find a website that discussed class like we get at race on this site.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 5:43 pm ¶

71. waxghost wrote:

    Like so many other white posters have said before me, I’m here to shut up and learn, though it is hard to do the “shutting up” part sometimes.

    To make a very long story short, I’ve always been interested in the way people who aren’t like me live their lives – whether they had a different culture, skin color, gender identity, physical abilities, economic class, etc. I’ve always felt like an outsider in many ways myself, but hated how I was treated like a freak for it, so it was a natural extension of that. The parallels between sexism and racism during the recent primaries were painfully obvious to me; that made me realize that people of color must have ’secret’ lives that were veiled from me by my privilege just like women have ’secret’ lives veiled to men by their privilege, and that is was MY responsibility to pull back the veil in order to treat every person of color like a full human being.

    The writing here is amazing, both in the articles and the comments, and I have learned so much in the short time I’ve been here. I have already noticed changes in myself that I have been wanting and needing to make for a long time, and yet I also realize that I have a long way to go. I don’t think I could claim the title of anti-racist for myself but I do hope that I can be the best ally I can be. And I have to say “thank you!” to everyone who writes and comments here, since I don’t know how I could have done it otherwise.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 5:50 pm ¶

72. Christie wrote:

    Hi – I am a white woman and the rest of my family is non-white (South Asian) or mixed, and we live in a non-white country (but may live in the U.S. someday), so the topics discussed here are essential to my life and to raising my kids. If they live in the U.S. as adults, they need to be prepared for the more sinister types of racism they will encounter there, as young men who look as though they could be from the Middle East.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 6:22 pm ¶

73. shah8 wrote:

    I came over during the AM bruhaha.

    Stayed because this was the place most like the way it was when Steve Gilliard was running the NewsBlog.

    Plus, this place is geek friendly in a multicultural way. There are few places like that.

    It’s also small enough that trolls are easily dealt with, and the nasty snark/backbiting has been kept to a minimum.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 6:41 pm ¶

74. Erin wrote:

    I think I stumbled upon this site via Feministing. I stayed because the level of discourse is off-the-charts high, with thoughtful, respectful, challenging dialog found in the comments – very rare in the blogosphere, I think. And without fail, I’m intrigued/challenged/provoked by the posts.

    I heart Racialicious and would be very, very sad if it went away. It’s an much-needed oasis…

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 6:52 pm ¶

75. jvansteppes wrote:

    Racialicious is dear to me because I learn a lot and the analysis is good but its more than that.

    The writers are funny and it takes the edge off our collective indignation. Obviously you all work very hard but there’s also a sense that you’re building something and having a good time with it. I love listening to Carmen on ATR because she has a certain rapport with her guests where everyone’s able to stop and make a joke about cockroaches or Latoya’s Spice Girls era. I think that’s a really important aspect to resistance to oppressive systems.

    I think the amount of respect shown to other people by Racialicious writers is pretty remarkable in a world where activists are trained to be defensive and have so many reasons to be that way.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 7:36 pm ¶

76. Ree wrote:

    I found a link to Racialicious on another website. I loved it because sometimes, when I read about race-based issues on other sites and in the news, posters comments are ignorant, insulting and sometimes very, very racist. I found other posters here to be refreshingly informed, and at least if people disagree, they don’t insult each other. Usually.

    I am anti-racist, but I am not sure about the activist part.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 7:46 pm ¶

77. Glossolalia Black wrote:

    I come here to learn, to challenge my internalized racism, and to feel a connection to my black roots that I never did as a kid.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 8:41 pm ¶

78. gp wrote:

    A friend sent me a link to your site a while back when I was looking for digital images of the Vogue Mali photo shoot (I am in West Africa, and American Vogue is hard to come by here). I added y’all to my RSS after that, because I really enjoy the site. Also, it’s good for me to keep American pop culture and race in mind while living here, since it’s so different (though people consume a lot of the same music and movies here, interesting how that can work).

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 9:01 pm ¶

79. Liza wrote:

    Okay, I think I’m going to be like “Comment 100+” at this point, but I’ll drop my info here anyways!

    Got turned on to Racialicious by a STUDENT of mine who had heard about it. Invited Carmen to come to speak at the college where I work, got into some great conversations with her over wine in coffee cups (long story), and began following all the New Demographic blogs from that point on.

    With all the great threads, comments, and push-back comments, I sometimes find this better than any of the graduate school classes I’ve been in. People are unafraid of putting it all out there.

    I’ve made reading New Demographic blogs a required assignment in many of my classes.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 9:30 pm ¶

80. Lyonside wrote:

    I too am loving the de-lurking and hearing how everyone finds the site Gawd, talk about diversity! (Ali, seriously, Jason Momoa brought you to Racialicious? sweeet… (I swear, after BSG, he’s the best thing on the SciFi channel).

    I’m another lifer (from the MMW days, via SWIRL). Googling old comments I’ve made makes me cringe in my tivas, but hey, that’s personal growth for you.

    Through Racialicious and MMW, I better assessed my own privilege from having a white mother and family, a mostly white upper-middle education, etc., something I didn’t really acknowlege until after college.

    I love the broad range of topics, ridiculous to the sublime, and that even when I’m nodding my head, I’m bound to read something that I never considered before or just wasn’t aware of. The changes in the helm that inevitably come with time have been really smooth, IMO, and even when tones change, the core message remains the same.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 10:00 pm ¶

81. SarahMC wrote:

    MaryLauran has already said it all for me! I discovered this site via another blog, though I don’t remember which one, and now it’s one of a handful of blogs I check every morning when I get to work. Y’all are fantastic.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 10:04 pm ¶

82. Bee wrote:

    In the interests of transparency, I disclose I’m a white woman, from Australia. I read this blog because it is incredibly intelligent, challenging, captivating and interesting. It is a constant reminder to be conscious of my privilege, to be aware of it and to learn more every day about it. I read this because I believe in what this blog discusses and I consider it important to have it playing in my consciousness constantly. It gives me material to provide to people in discussion on these issues because I’m not an authority and everything here is expressed better than I could put it anyway.
    And I hope to God reading this site keeps me humble and ever aware I’ve got a long way to go.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 10:06 pm ¶

83. Elton wrote:

    I’m a little disturbed that I keep seeing the comment “I’m white so I don’t comment much.” White people need to be part of the conversation, as white people. Additionally, they should chime in under their other identities, as well, as people from *here* or who do *this* for a living or who have had *this* experience. Don’t be afraid to speak up!

    As red said, one of the things that makes Racialicious great is that it isn’t overly academic with its discussion of social issues. I did not major in Asian-American studies or some other social science field, like many people of color who are nonetheless interested in talking about race. I appreciate the lack of academic buzzwords.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 10:10 pm ¶

84. Myles wrote:

    Hmm, I get to throw a trump car?

    I found Mixed Media Watch on Xanga. Yes, Xanga, where the first few posts are. I wanted to see if there was anyone else in this world like me. I followed the link to the newer blog and was hooked.

    I found it when i was just starting college during a time when I felt that I have to tell everyone about my multiracial/multiethnic identity, least they decided my race/ethnicity for me.

    I would check MMW between classes and it kept me going when I was dealing with my “experiment” class I(the one I didn’t tell my mixture), and the various stupid things monoracial people say and do.

    I loved MMW because it allowed me access to other people like me, news that was related to me, and that tiny feeling that i wasn’t insane and that I had a right not to assimilate because my race changed because of my educational status (I made it to college and all’a sudden I’m not a “mechy-kan” anymore .

    I followed the change to Racialicious, and though I sometimes feel like the blog doesn’t cover my issues as much and has gotten more of a black and female view point-

    (Okay, a lot of the contributors are black and female, so it’s no surprise that is the filter a lot of posts have. Please do not think I am trying to say that this is a bad thing. I just wanted to see if anyone else noticed this change)

    -and that the increase on monoracial/monoethnic (identified) readers has caused a change on the way multiracial/multiethinic topics and issues are handled. I cringe a lot when I see a post about multi’s because I know that a lot of the comments are going to be telling me that I don’t have the right to identify the way I want to and that I should cling to a mentality that comes from slave culture.

    Remember Gerald A. Butler and J?

    *sigh*

    I still love racialicious. It’s gives me a place to feel like I belong, kinda, or that ‘m not as big of a freak as people tell me I am.

    Hey, you keep me from going to that crazy, homicidal, “destroy-all-monoracial-people” place, and that’s a good thing

    I just hope no one thinks that I’m slamming this blog for changing.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 10:12 pm ¶

85. Michelle wrote:

    I found “the friend in my head” because I realized that in this day and age of sound bites and instant fame, a person can still be largely voiceless. Living in Los Angeles and being primarily around people in the entertainment industry did not help my feeling of needing to speak, to be heard and to bear witness to all the ways in which our culture reflects our collective isms.

    I was so frustrated by Angelina Jolie in A Mighty Heart that I started googling it. I couldn’t believe that no one was talking about it. And then I found Carmen and the Gang and it was a celebration for me from then on, the whole Bobby Cutts situation not withstanding. Here is a place where it is relatively safe and completely anonymous to speak, to listen, to be heard, to learn. And sometimes it can be difficult but it sharpens my critical thinking and discussion skills so that I feel as though I am part of the broader conversations about race.

    I also feel like this is as close as I will get to being a member of SNCC or the BPP in my lifetime.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 10:42 pm ¶

86. superchunk12 wrote:

    I come to remind myself that i’m not in a struggle alone, that there are oodles of people who think like me and that i’m not going crazy.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 10:45 pm ¶

87. kanani wrote:

    I found you via ExPat Jane.
    I don’t consider myself an “anti-racist activist,” only because I have never heard the label before I came here. So I can’t lay claim to it.
    I like to read everyone’s experiences as they tread the waters of life –often questioning their own perceptions. The value from the blog comes from the comenters –many of whom are willing to pause long enough to think and offer up a viewpoint that either complements or diverges.
    For the past few years, I’ve been at odds with the forced homogeneity of the culture I live in here in Orange County. I’ve lived here for 8 years, and have watched most people skirt around the issue of race. To them, a Benetton ad is proof positive that we are all one, that racism and cultural divisions do not exist.
    But then, I hear people say the worst things –and they’re of all colors and economic groups.
    So I come here to breathe. To read and to learn.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 10:56 pm ¶

88. jen* wrote:

    I visited for the first time about a year ago – actually cuz of the blurb on Carmen in B*tch last summer. It was really my first foray into the blogosphere as a whole, and somehow I ended up writing, myself.

    Living where I live [the sho 'nuff South], there’s plenty of racial *ish that comes up. Coming here, I often get somebody to commiserate with – or another perspective on an event – or a heads up on another cool happening [on the tubez or IRL].

    it still boggles my mind, tho, that there are racists that spend time reading anti-racist blogs. it’s just weird.

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 11:07 pm ¶

89. IKnowSomething wrote:

    I’m here because growing up in a diverse family, and around people from all different walks of like (not to mention being mixed with so many different things), I pretty much like to see the perspective on different aspects of each culture/ethnicity/race.

    Plus, I like relating to the articles. They interest me.

    Its hard for me to explain…

    Posted 01 Jul 2008 at 11:09 pm ¶

90. PaulPortland wrote:

    Most of why I’ve been lurking at Racialicious for the past month now have been eloquently stated by all of the above commenters, but let me add one more thing:

    As a man of color, not only does Racialicious provide a space for me to read intelligent and sympathetic voices that remind me that this complex issue of race in America is something we are ALL going through, but it also allows me to learn and further empathize with the particular issues women of color encounter that, as a man, I can’t begin to inhabit. In other words, it makes me check my sexist hang-ups at the door (which sometimes drove me and my male friends of color emotionally towards a zero-sum game of accusations and counter-accusations against our sisters of color) and realize that seeking gender equality WITHIN non-white communities is just as important as racial equality in general.

    Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 12:21 am ¶

91. lxy wrote:

    I happened to stumble upon Racialious from another website recently.

    In general, I believe the discussion on racism in the USA needs to move beyond the standard “I-don’t-see-race-Can’t-we-all-just-get-along-Colorblind-Society” dogma of the Mainstream.

    Instead, the focus needs to be on how racial power, privilege, and dominance shape our very identities and institutions in powerful–though often unacknowledged– ways.

    Most “diversity” websites that I’ve seen (esp. Asian American) don’t want to go there and prefer to remain within the boundaries of safe racial discussion.

    From what I’ve seen so far, Racialicious seems to be a notable exception to this trend.

    Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 12:35 am ¶

92. Whitney wrote:

    I’m here because I want to learn about the race problem in America, and learn how to strive to make it better. I think this is an honest and open blog and incredibly informative.

    Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 12:39 am ¶

93. thew wrote:

    I found Racialicious via your crossover with Jezebel. That article really grabbed my attention with it’s examination of privilege and euro-hetero-centric perspective.

    In college, I had a class called Media & Democracy and ever since then I’ve loved critical media analysis.

    Some sites, they give you a paragraph and an interesting question and let the commenters do all the heavy lifting, burying the substance in a sea of replies. But here, while the comments are also substantial, the articles are strong enough to stand on their own, so the comments are delicious icing instead of a content crutch.

    Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 12:55 am ¶

94. Adrianna wrote:

    Finally a post where i can express My love of Racialicious!
    I found my way to the blog during the days of mixed media watch. I love the the podcast and the blog. It’s my first read of the day!Latoya ask why are we here? I read Racialicious, because it raises my consciousness and awareness. As a black women dealing with racism, colorism and sexism often, I know I can come here and vent my frustrations. Racialicious has helped open my eyes and debunk my own misconceptions and prejudices. I feel part of a community here. Goddess knows we need communities like this in the real world. Racialicious is like my very own French social salon. I learn so much from the blogs and the people that post here. I could only wish to one day I can break bread with you people as the Cruel Secretary said offline!

    Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 2:14 am ¶

95. x0x wrote:

    I read the article on “ghetto” fashion on another website that linked to this blog, and I have been hooked since.

    Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 2:30 am ¶

96. jessilikewhoa wrote:

    i found the site via latoya’s comments on feministe during the aftermath of the sealpress debacle, i think during the whole conversation where everyone agreed that the racism in feminism is b-a-d and what are we gonna do now. i thought she seemed incredibly smart and i wanted to read more. one evening reading the site and i was hooked. im a utopian socialist and believe fiercly (obviously not in dictionaries…) in the equality of all as the basis to a truly free and compassionate society. growing up in poverty and feeling totally alienated by academia meant i was frequently reminded that despite being white, the mainstream feminists dont speak for me. i feel like racialicious does an incredibly comprehensive job of covering the way oppressions intersect and the myriad ways our society hurts the majority of its members for the benefit of a few. i feel that my family in this world are all the ones who are not represented, silenced, and oppressed, no matter their color, ethnicity, gender expression, sexuality, and so forth. im here to support those i view as my brothers and sisters.

    Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 2:44 am ¶

97. Bob Simpson wrote:

    The intersection of race, gender and class is a pretty perplexing place. I find that the diversity of articles and opinions here help me sort out some of that complexity.

    The discussions are often on a very advanced boundary pushing level. I especially like the ones that ask the tough questions that we don’t have clear answers for. That’s how we advance our understanding of anything, whether its quantum mechanics or race.

    So keep throwing those intellectual fastballs and hard breaking curves. Keep making us think more deeply so that we act more effectively.

    Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 4:53 am ¶

98. Renee wrote:

    I mostly read feminist blogs but I come to Racilicious to escape the unacknowledged privilege that is rampant in feminism. It give me a much needed break from the silencing that often occurs when people of color try to speak their minds.

    Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 7:25 am ¶

99. Dan wrote:

    33 year old white male married to 32 year old black female.

    I come to racialicious because there is always something more to learn. Like Mickey, I’m always looking for resources that fill in the gaps that my public education failed on. And let’s be frank, the education we receive from the public system in the US is a very WHITE history.

    I consider myself a vehement anti-racist activist. I did not get my start simply because I married a black woman and now had a ‘vested interest’ in anti-racism. I had an interest in it long before I knew my wife existed (who is also the first black woman I ever dated). Any way you slice it, racism and prejudice are wrong. Period. It amazes me how many people attempt to actually justify their racism.

    Racism and prejudice are easy enough to spot, however what’s more difficult, as a white man, is identifying my white privilege and trying to negate it, and knowing when to use it to further anti-racist interests.

    For other whites on this site who are interested in anti-racism and understanding their white privilege more, I highly recommend anything by Tim Wise and would recommend that you browse his website and read his over 75 essays on racism.

    http://www.timwise.org

    Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 8:42 am ¶

100. Persia wrote:

     These comments are so amazing. So many of them reflect my thoughts. But I think the best is:

     Stop~ thinking you have all the answers.
     Drop~ your preconceptions and misconceptions at the door.
     Roll~ the comments and input around in your dome, allow it to marinate and do your part to leave this place better then we found it.

     I got here from feministing, which I hardly ever read nowadays, ironically. I like it here because I learn, because I’m challenged, and because I feel I can contribute. I like that the site goes from politics to comic books and everywhere in between.

     And I love that Racialicious takes serious things seriously and still has time to laugh and to drool over Keanu Reeves.

     Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 8:57 am ¶

101. DiosaNegra1967 wrote:

     superchunk12 wrote:

     I come to remind myself that i’m not in a struggle alone, that there are oodles of people who think like me and that i’m not going crazy.

     Co-sign!!!

     And, because of the people who post here….

     Ummmm……all the “white” people who are lurking…..please come out of the shadows! This discussion needs you too! We ALL live in this country, y’know!

     Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 8:57 am ¶

102. V-Knowledge wrote:

     I come to this site because it is such an excellent resource for critical, honest and open discussions on race, identity, and other issues that affect us in more ways than we realize.

     Carmen, Latoya, thank you so much for your hard work on this site!

     Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 10:05 am ¶

103. jmn wrote:

     I came here via angryasianman.com, and I like all the insight from everyone here, which makes me feel like I’m not alone in what I see/experience, particularly as an Asian male living in Texas.

     I come here to support the awesomeness that is Carmen and Latoya (they have their own category of awesomeness), and I love reading all the insights of a very diverse group of readers. You guys rock!

     Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 10:18 am ¶

104. thesciencegirl wrote:

     I don’t remember how I found racialicious, but I think I was specifically looking for an anti-racist blog. I found myself confronting some really frustrating issues surrounding race in my experiences as a medical student, but without the same outlet for discussion that I had in college, when I worked with an anti-racist student group on campus. I kept reading because on my first visit to the site, I read a guest post by Tami that felt like it had been ripped from my own brain. I felt like I found a community of people who care about issues that I care about, who are committed to change just as I am, and who are giving me better tools to articulate my concerns and my anger to friends, peers, strangers, med school faculty, etc. who often address race in such ignorant ways. It has also been a great source for me as I cosely follow the presidential election; I will see something infuriating on the news, and by the time I check racialicious, there will be a thoughtful discourse on the topic that helps me work through it. It’s very comforting just to have an outlet to discuss racism, instead of just sputtering to myself and throwing things around my apartment.

     And I am also learning so much about issues that don’t personally affect me as a heterosexual, Christian, middle-class black/white woman. I love hearing the diversity of perspectives here. It is one of the few sites on my list of daily reads.

     Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 10:37 am ¶

105. Falyne wrote:

     I’m a white woman who came here from a feminist blog (I forget which) around the time that I was first entering the blogosphere and feminism and anti-racism. I was raised in suburban Southern California and had the general “racism is BAD, MLK Jr. is GOOD, everybody’s equal happy yay” sentiment instilled in elementary school, but was largely ignorant of any more sophisticated understanding of racial issues and privilege.

     I think one of the first things I read here that really struck me was a discussion about “good” hair and “bad” hair for black women. I’d never heard these terms before, never had to think about the sort of effort/expenditure required to have “good” hair, or why “European” was “good”… it kinda smacked me upside the head with what the concept of privilege meant and how much I had it. I read Angry Asian Man too, and had much the same eye-opening moment there (whoa, there really IS a gong sound every time an asian character shows up on TV, and they ARE always martial arts stars, and maybe “model minority” really DOES suck).

     So, yeah, I’m here to educate myself, and I think it’s been very helpful. Challenging at times, but helpful, and this site has helped make me a more decent and understanding human being.

     Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 10:41 am ¶

106. mince wrote:

     I’m a Youth Worker living in England (also white and a lurker!) and I got here via Jezebel in the new year. This place has been so infinity valuable to me, I work with a lot of unprivileged kids with racist attitudes that are really difficult to work with.

     Discussions on here really help me to give them things to think about that they can actually relate to and come to better conclusions by themselves as I try to do myself.

     Thank you for being here!!

     Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 10:58 am ¶

107. Butterbean wrote:

     I enjoy reading many of the posts on Racialicious. They’re very interesting. However I’m often left with more questions that you refuse to answer or can’t seem to answer.

     Latoya, some of your posts have a negative tone to it. (So and so believes this…this means they’re racist.) I agree with you more often than not but it doesn’t seem to be the best way of fostering a discussion about these topics.

     Also, I was afraid to post this. (Have you seen your posting policy?) I think that counts for something.

     I think you could be a little bit more nuanced in your discussions of race/ethnicity. Maybe you need another team member? It seems like sometimes you miss stuff…

     For example, you hinted at wanting to know more about this E. European vs. W. European issue in Europe (old news…)… It seemed as though you felt bad for them or sympathized with them. I’m not saying that’s wrong but do you know that the Roma (or gypsies) are persecuted (killed, harassed) in many E. European countries? Do you know about all the neo-Nazis in Russia?

     Overall, this is a great blog. It’s the only one of its kind online! I’m happy to be able to read it.

     Thank you.

     Mod Note – I am the main mod. Carmen still contributes to this site, as do Wendi, Fatemeh and Nadra. We have regular guest contributors like Thea Lim and AJ Plaid, and frequently cross-post from other sites. Can you be more specific in pointing out posts with a negative tone? In general, I’ve only put up short posts lately – I haven’t written as much since I have been doing more editing.

     I am not sure where you got the impression of sympathy with the Eastern European comments. I saw that on a TV show and thought it was interesting that the resulting conversation revolved around racism vs. prejudice. As many have pointed out, our blog is US centric – most of us are based here, if not born here, and those are the dynamics we understand the best. There isn’t really a sympathy one way or the other. And yes, we are familiar with the Roma and Neo-Nazism in Europe – we have linked to some of those issues in our link round ups. However, if we are going to delve into an area, I would rather have someone on the ground speak on it – there is a limit to how much we can specifically cover outside of lived experience. Hence why there is a call for help; quite often the perspectives you see on this site are influenced by or contributed by readers who I contacted via email.

     Our posting policy was here before I got here – to date, I have only made two additions to it. Each time something was added it was generally in response to a situation that got out of hand. I understand some of the concerns about the strictness of the policy, but ultimately the policies are in place to protect the community and the quality of the conversation. I am aware that people are basically accustomed to coming out of their mouths however online, but that’s not going to fly here.

     Finally, I am not sure which questions I have refused to answer. Generally speaking, if someone asks a question I do answer it or allow the commenters to do so. If you could point to more specific examples, that would be helpful. – LDP

     Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 11:23 am ¶

108. Butterbean wrote:

     By the way, white supremacists find your site because they constantly google “race” and/or “white” all the time.

     I’m not sure if you knew.

     I don’t think they purposefully look for Racialicious.

     They’re all over Stuff White People Like too.

     Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 11:46 am ¶

109. Joanna wrote:

     I love how Racialicious uses such a wide lens… touching on all different races and ethnicities, and mixed race identities, intersectionalities with queerness, gender, class, privilege, etc.

     I also appreciate that the posts are not overly academic, are pretty down to earth, and usually don’t assume that everyone is already well-versed in anti-racist discourse or anything.

     I also like the wide range of styles of blog posts… short links, videos, long essays, serious and funny, etc.

     Thanks!

     Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 11:50 am ¶

110. Anonymous wrote:

     Well, here’s another de-lurker.

     I’ve been lurking for a few months now, and can’t remember which blog linked me here (I read a lot of blogs).

     I like this place because it addresses a lot of things that most people are afraid to talk about (or don’t even see) but does it in a fair and inclusive way. I’m learning a LOT and it’s really making me take a second (or third, etc.) look at society. I feel like I’m in the children’s story and realizing that the emperor indeed has no clothes.

     I also like it because I’m trying to figure out where I fit in as a multi-ethnic (white/Latina) female who passes for white and thus has white privilege. I don’t feel like I fit in with most whites after hearing the airing of their racism and bigotry, as I’m assumed to be also white and thus safe as a witness to those views. But I don’t fit in with PoC either because my skin is light and I can’t escape the white privilege. I noticed in responses to another post that people should be allowed to choose for themselves what they are, but society doesn’t allow that. You are how you look. It’s been difficult to learn that, as I’ve always accepted myself as multi-ethnic and I’m really only white. I’m not sure there’s anywhere in real life where I do fit in, but I’ve found it interesting and comforting to read the perspectives of other blog-readers here who have similar experiences to mine.

     Okay, sorry for the whining…back to lurking/learning…

     Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 12:18 pm ¶

111. Taryne wrote:

     Your site is an everyday check in for me. I came while doing research on language and ethnic identity. I have stayed because you tackle so many difficult topics and because your writers and commenters are introspective, thoughtful and respectful. Even with the anonymity of the web, this community looks to understand divergent opinions and come to larger understandings. It is a safe place to discuss and learn.

     Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 12:21 pm ¶

112. sfsinger wrote:

     I come here because the writing is top-notch, the articles and blogs that are co-linked are always an interesting read and the comments are thought provoking. I don’t agree about tagging non-white people with a wide brush stroke of being racist for having prejudices against groups that have historically been oppressive. I do agree that those prejudices need to be examined and from a spiritual and mental standpoint at some point we have to forgive. It isn’t wise to assume that interacting with different people will be a conflict-free existence but it is equally as unwise to assume everyone is an ally.

     Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 12:32 pm ¶

113. whizkid wrote:

     Most of the feminist reading material, I was coming across on the net, seemed overwhelmingly western and white. But that was before I came across Racialicious.

     The reason I stayed: The site does not sound elitist, and most of the posts and reader’s comments usually dispels my ignorance.

     This site has opened a new window for me, and the light’s good.

     (I have been reading racialicious regularly for sometime, though this is my first comment here.)

     Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 1:15 pm ¶

114. Caroline wrote:

     To be perfectly honest, I came here during the Obama/Clinton blogfights because I was so sick and tired of hearing feminists deny and minimize the role racism played, because they felt that talking about racism denied and minimized the role sexism played. I needed to read someone who was taking on that issue. Sexism matters but it was making me so tired to have any acknowledgement of racism minimized or ignored in the context of talking about sexism.

     Renee @98 pretty much sums it up.

     (And I’m white, for the record. Can’t imagine how exhausted I’d be with this crap if I wasn’t.)

     Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 1:31 pm ¶

115. tybris wrote:

     I come ro racialicious because it keeps me sane. Where i live i see thing that i considered unfair and often times racist, i hear things that are racist that no one else seems to acknowledge as racist. When no one else seems to care it makes you a little depressed and confused and you begin to wonder if there is just something wrong with you. I am glad this blog is here there are people who see and hear what I do.

     Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 2:08 pm ¶

116. waxghost wrote:

     To those who have said that white people need to be involved in discussions about race too, I don’t think any of us is actually excluding ourselves from the discussion. We’re here, we’re reading and occasionally commenting, but we also have a lot to learn before we can be helpful participants.

     Personally, I’ve found myself many times writing out comments, hesitating to hit post, and then realizing how many problems there are in the things I’ve written or how it might be oppressive for me to even say anything. So while I definitely appreciate that racial discussions aren’t just between people of color, I think it is actually very important that the discussion be DOMINATED by people of color, while white people listen and (as StuffBlackPeopleLike said above) let it marinate.

     Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 2:42 pm ¶

117. tara wrote:

     Like many others, I got here through the BFP/AM controversy. I’m also lurking and learning so that hopefully I’ll be less ignorant. I was colorblind, i.e. totally unaware that I was missing a lot by only reading white feminists. Learning about issues that affect PoC through white women doesn’t really make sense.

     I also really appreciate the positive atmosphere that you all must work hard to maintain.

     Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 5:09 pm ¶

118. curlyscales wrote:

     Years back I read, “The Kin of Ata are waiting for you” by Dorothy Bryant. Led me to believe there was a place where people could live openly. Racialicious gives me that feeling at times.

     Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 6:43 pm ¶

119. Anonymous wrote:

     I may even be the oldest WoC commenting here. My daughter, also a mixed-race med student like thesciencegirl told me about this blog.

     I have carefully read Latoya’s post above and followed the link and listened to Liam McGrath – to those who haven’t done this already I would strongly recommend.

     I have also read every single comment here (116) and enjoyed every perspective: starting with busylizzie at #1.

     jessilikewhoa at #96 “…the myriad ways our society hurts the majority of its members for the benefit of a few. i feel that my family in this world are all the ones who are not represented, silenced, and oppressed, no matter their color, ethnicity, gender expression, sexuality, and so forth. im here to support those i view as my brothers and sisters.” was very moving.

     I did feel a little sorry for all the white lurkers determined to be ’silent’ – then I realized that the dominant PoC feel of this blog is unique and is the reason that we feel so comfortable here, not only to affirm & comfort but also to intrigue and challenge each other, without being afraid of being obliterated by some insensitive nonPoC commenter.

     The positive, respectful tone must be due to Latoya’s iron-fist-in-velvet-glove mod-ing! but also to her thoughtful, respectful responses to commenters, critical and approving.

     Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 8:16 pm ¶

120. Slush wrote:

     @Waxghost – Ditto exactly.

     Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 8:27 pm ¶

121. Butterbean wrote:

     In “Black women don’t give head, and other lessons learned from essence,” Carmen brings up stereotypes in an Essence article. Actually, she refers to them as “the same mess of tired stereotypes.” I read this as: “If you believe these stereotypes, something’s wrong with you.” What’s with the judgmental tone? There are subtle “shut downs” in some posts here and the posting policy. I can’t stand the phrase “oppression olympics.” Or the why’s everything black and white question… Is that really a question? Have people read their American history books? I’m not saying that discussions of race should be limited to black and white…

     Back to the article…for example:

     “1. All interracial relationships are black and white”

     It’s Essence… Also, really, do Asian/Asian-Americans seek romantic (or even platonic) relationships with black people to the same extent as white people?

     “5. White people don’t get stuff about black people’s hair and skin”

     …most don’t. What? It is what it is…

     “7. White men are awesome in bed”

     I, personally, have never heard of this stereotype in the context of black/white relationships. Asian/white relationships? Yes.
     Black/white relationships? No. There are a bunch of different dynamics going on in each relationship.

     I don’t even like Essence (because of some of the stereotypes you’ve pointed out). It’s just that I felt you were a little off in your analysis.

     Latoya, I saw that episode of The Secret Diary of a Call Girl. I knew I wasn’t going crazy when I noticed E. Europeans were treated differently in G.B. and Spain! My Slovenian bf mentioned it in passing too. Then he would pop off about Roma and I’d be like woah, woah, woah…

     I don’t mean to sound so harsh. I’ve been meaning to say something for a while but didn’t want to be pegged as some crazy commenter. so this is all busting out.

     Really, I appreciate your work!

     Thanks again.

     Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 9:07 pm ¶

122. Jae Ran wrote:

     I came here back when it was Mixed Media Watch, but can’t remember exactly why . . . and like a lot of others I stayed because it was a place where I felt I could exhale. I’ve learned so much from the contributors and I’ve been flattered to have some of my posts x-posted.

     As an Asian woman who was raised in a white home where I felt silenced regarding my racial identity and my feminist ideology, I have been challenged here and also hopefully have challenged others from time to time when writing about race and adoption.

     Also, as a parent to two mixed-race children, including a budding feminist, I savor knowing that my children’s experiences are validated here.

     Thanks to all of the awesome contributors and moderators for your thought provoking and challenging posts and for everyone who contributes to the discussions – that’s why I check Racialicious every day!

     Posted 02 Jul 2008 at 10:58 pm ¶

123. Another Lurker wrote:

     I had followed the occasional link and liked the blog but had only started reading everyday when the AM/BFP controversy hit. In the discussions that followed I realized that I was not the ally I had though myself to be. I always believed that racism was real and race and racism was a topic in my house but until that point I did not get that there were shades of meaning that I was completely ignorant of or just plain ignoring.

     So a revamp of my blog list and now I read this (and several other anti-racist blogs) everyday. Like others, I appreciate how inclusive this blog is and I find the conversations that take place in the comments are often as much of an education as the posts themselves.

     So thank all of you for writing and discussing your experiences. I’m still not the ally I want to yet, but I feel that I am much better than I was a few months ago.

     Posted 03 Jul 2008 at 1:08 am ¶

124. Latoya Peterson wrote:

     @Butterbean – That’s fine. Everyone’s got their own style here – so I would suggest paying more attention to the bylines to see whose style you like the most. Some of us are sarcastic, some of us are jaded, some of us are earnest, but we all care.

     @everyone – Thanks soooooo much for all the love. Sometimes blogging can feel kind of thankless. I’ll address all the comments more specifically in the next Letter from the Editrix.

     @all the delurkers – Thank you. I appreciate your voices.

     @the regulars – And I love y’all the most. Tis a dark day when y’all don’t come through.

     @red –

     When I first started posting here, one of my earliest posts got a comment that was like “sigh – yet another post on (whatever it was) without a discussion of Eugenics.”

     And I was literally like “wtf is eugenics?” I knew the concept, but not the word. So, it makes me happy to hear so many people think that our content is accessible.

     @Anonymous (who I think is Kali) – Iron fist in a velvet glove modding? I love it.

     @Kirk – Yes, I have been thinking on a racism from PoCs thread for a while now. Maybe after I finish the interracial dating ones.

     @Myles – J is gone, hon. Gregory A. Butler, I haven’t seen in a while. But I am thinking a lot about how to make sure mixed race perspectives are not marginalized on this site.

     Posted 03 Jul 2008 at 6:40 am ¶

125. Kali wrote:

     Anonymous was me. Don’t know why my name didn’t appear.

     Posted 03 Jul 2008 at 7:57 am ¶

126. MistressBeatz wrote:

     Another one from Bitch.

     Intelligent, insightful, challenging, funny, respectful, wholistic…..

     In my youth, I recognized that the “-isms” took only a few years of indoctrination, and a life-time to deconstruct. This place helps me see a few more places in need of deconstruction within myself. At work, I am a ‘ghost’, and Racialicious has helped me relax a bit more about it, and enjoy the humour of the situation.

     I also enjoy the diverse interests of the editors/contributors/commentators. I absolutely adore the fact that anime & manga are mentioned here. And Keanu!

     Thank you for existing.

     Posted 03 Jul 2008 at 8:24 am ¶

127. db11 wrote:

     Another white (male) mostly lurker. Followed Latoya here from a Feministing comment thread during the BFP blowup like several others.

     Many of the same reasons for visiting regularly as others have expressed – great writing, challenging ideas, respectful and illuminating discussions.

     And similar reasons for not commenting on most threads as other white lurkers. It’s about respecting this blog as a safe place for PoC and mixed race… and not (unintentionally) becoming a white voice that contributes to silencing PoC.

     There are plenty of spaces, both on-line and off, for whites to express opinions – and so few safe places for other voices to gather and exchange. I feel privileged (sorry!) for being able to witness those conversations. By entering them I would (potentially) change the dynamics and lose the learning value gained by simply being an observer.

     Thanks for all your hard work in maintaining one of the highest quality blogs on the internet. You’ve already made a bigger contribution to anti-racism than you may know.

     Posted 03 Jul 2008 at 9:23 am ¶

128. Kali wrote:

     Ban Keanu.

     Posted 03 Jul 2008 at 9:23 am ¶

129. Latoya Peterson wrote:

     @Kali – You better hope Carmen doesn’t see that.

     @ The AM/BFP lurkers – Thanks for speaking up. I was fairly restrained in commenting and did not feel very heard in those discussions, so I appreciate you all reading my comments and checking out the blog.

     Posted 03 Jul 2008 at 9:29 am ¶

130. db11 wrote:

     Correction: followed Latoya from a comment thread.

     Posted 03 Jul 2008 at 9:32 am ¶

131. juju wrote:

     I am multiracial and “interracially” married to a man who is bi-ethnic, a religious minority within a religious minority, and European born and raised. This site covers, often from a feminist perspective (yay!), many of the issues that are important to me. Great blog, good job!

     Posted 03 Jul 2008 at 9:55 am ¶

132. Nora wrote:

     I came to racialicious after working at an antiracist organization. I was looking for an antiracist blog and actually found it through feministing. I’m a (fairly) white Arab female (although many people can tell I’m not European) and going through high school and dealing with that brought me here as well. Also, I always sensed there were things I wasn’t hearing from the “love diversity” chats we had at school, and racialicious educated me where those left off.

     Posted 03 Jul 2008 at 3:27 pm ¶

133. Kandee wrote:

     I’m here because it has taught me so much about race and racism. At times, the comments are even more informative than the posts. The tone of the blog creates an environment that is welcoming and educative. It has forced me to rethink the way that I see race and to see it from all angles while at the same time giving me a voice. Here, I don’t have the stereotype-filled blackness forced on me. I can be myself. It is very much a safe haven from the turbulent outside world. There are also standards for communicating, which makes a really big difference. It’s a wonderful community.

     Posted 04 Jul 2008 at 8:44 am ¶

134. Bianca wrote:

     I come here because it is the only space that continues the thoughtful, passionate, challenging discourse around the intersections of race, gender, regional, social class, economic class, religion, sexuality, etc. that changed my lifestyle and perspective and ideals while I was in college. I haven’t found a space for that since graduating a few years ago. I’m enlightened by at least one comment in every post.
     I’m a black girl/womanist living in Brooklyn, working as a public school teacher, teaching Black boys how to read and write with a critical and compassionate perspective (or at least, I hope that’s what I do). I come here I don’t have much of a filter for the dynamics I see in play every day in the classroom and how they echo the dynamics of the neighborhood, the borough, the city, the nation, etc.
     But I don’t come here much these days because I there are people who exert their “knowledge” and their experience as the only valid ones out there, in thread after thread. Because they are smart, they get away with it. But it’s silencing all the same. That’s a college experience I don’t need to continue.

     Posted 04 Jul 2008 at 6:22 pm ¶

135. Bianca wrote:

     Sorry for putting knowledge in quotes. I was feeling irked. It’s knowledge like anyone else’s.

     Posted 04 Jul 2008 at 6:24 pm ¶

136. octogalore wrote:

     Why am I here? I found a link from here to my blog and then started reading and liking!

     I grew up in a multi-race household — typically family events are pretty evenly distributed among whites and POC. I find the discussions of race among all-white feminist groups to be insular.

     I don’t comment to many threads I read where the discussion isn’t one where I feel I have the experience to say anything relevant. Where threads involve a perspective across racial lines, I have really enjoyed engaging.

     Also I have hopes of helping Latoya realize her inner capitalist! J/K (partially)

     Posted 05 Jul 2008 at 2:11 pm ¶

137. little mixed girl wrote:

     mixedmediawatch on xanga > mixedmediawatch the website> racialicious.
     i am still disappointed that there’s no mixed media watch because i feel like…issues related to mixed people are pushed to the side.

     but i do like coming to the site. i do more reading than posting, however.

     Posted 05 Jul 2008 at 2:18 pm ¶

138. Davina wrote:

     And yet another lurker de-lurks…

     I was born in the UK but my parents are from Bangladesh. I have lived in the UK all my life and struggled with my race/identity for most of it. I started reading blogs last year with the F Word, and I think I came to Racialicious via Feministe/Feministing. I don’t really read those two sites anymore, but I read the F Word and Racialicious everyday.

     I love Racialicious because:

     - I feel like I am not alone/crazy/weird for noticing things that other people don’t or won’t recognise
     - I learn more about the US
     - the wide range of posts are always informative, well-written and touch upon a lot of stuff I would normally be unaware of (e.g. the Vogue LeBron cover – I don’t read magazines)
     - there are always links to follow up on
     - the comments are always good to read and people actually listen to each other
     - it’s pretty much troll-free
     - there are no stupid adverts

     And some of the posts (more of the geeky ones, admittedly) make for stimulating conversation with my boyfriend, who is Jewish and geeky (I was Catholic, now agnostic, not so much geeky).

     I could go on and on and on about how much I love this site, but am best suited to listening because I have a tendency to babble…

     Posted 06 Jul 2008 at 4:36 pm ¶

139. Tesa wrote:

     I found this website through interracial bw/wm blogs. I am glad. I am continuely amazing at the the willingness of these open discussions my many minorities. I love hearing the options of other races besides white and black on race relations. As a 20 yr. old college student, I am learning more here then I have in 3yrs. of college. I get sad sometimes that I don’t have time to read every entry or follow every link.

     Posted 06 Jul 2008 at 6:36 pm ¶

140. Dorian wrote:

     I came via AngryAsianMan. I’m a Chinese-American male coming from a mostly white suburb. I admittedly am in the dark when it comes to confronting my own identity, so I decided I’d need to keep my mind open and learn.

     It’s amazing how redundant and simplifying and self-righteous popular discussions are when it comes to discussions on race, and coming to Racialicious made me aware that yes, there ARE still some people who can speak intelligently and thoughtfully. Kudos everyone.

     Posted 06 Jul 2008 at 11:13 pm ¶

141. Nia wrote:

     I love this blog, but it bums me out when intelligent folks of color, like the ones who post here, have to waste energy convincing white folks that we’re not “reverse racists” or deal with comments by people defending fucked up behavior. White folks can go to almost any other source of media and find white supremacist views that will allow them to feel good about themselves and their privilege. Why are they wasting their time at spots like this where people are trying to have an intelligent conversation?

     Posted 07 Jul 2008 at 12:25 am ¶

142. xtica wrote:

     i found racialicious (thank god) via arc’s website for the magazine “colorlines” which i subscribe to for events, conferences, etc. i clicked on the link and immediately fell in love, it was everything i had been missing in life.. =)
     love the attention to intersectionality, privilege, and all the intricacies of being POC that pop culture glazes over. it helps keep me sane, that being said, the violations of spirit that we POC have to put up with on a daily basis are so intense, i can only allow myself to check in every few days, or else my head would (in the manner of the dave chappelle skit) explode. but i love it, latoya et al. keep it up!

     Posted 07 Jul 2008 at 1:03 am ¶

143. xtica wrote:

     i mean, via racewire, the colorlines blog by applied research center in oakland.

     Posted 07 Jul 2008 at 1:28 am ¶

144. xtina wrote:

     i agree with you nia. i don’t buy the whole “poor us, we can’t dominate every damn thing” vibe that some people give off. good lord, everyplace else is for them, can’t we have somethings to ourselves? thanks to all the allies here who let us speak and listen and learn.

     Posted 07 Jul 2008 at 2:21 pm ¶