2020 White Noise Collective Year in Review

It is our annual practice to write and share a “Year in Review” blog, both as part of our own reflection process and as part of our accountability and transparency practices. We usually post this earlier than April, but that apparently wasn’t in the cards this year. Here goes…

Every year is a year like no other, but 2020 certainly outpaced most other years.… Read more

From SURJ Bay Area: End-of-the-year solidarity for racial justice

SURJ moves funds and resources to many of the same POC-led organizations as WNC. Please see their end of year donation request and offer what you can! -WNC

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Dear family, friends and comrades,

We are all receiving requests for donations for many worthwhile causes.  Please consider how much of your giving goes to people of color-led organizing.… Read more

9 actions and resources for Thanksgiving, from Catalyst Project

Today as many people around the country are gathering and sharing food, many more are also talking about the origins and mythology of thanksgiving, a feel-good story of settler benevolence designed to obscure the real history of land theft and genocide.  More than any other time, except perhaps during the 1970’s and the height of the American Indian Movement, people are talking about and showing up for Indigenous struggles.… Read more

Action and support opportunities this week!

WNC Community,

Please see below for several actions and support requests this coming week:
1) Monday, June 19 at 6 pm – TURN OUT to Oakland’s City Council Meeting to support the #DefundOPD Campaign.
2) Support Black Land Liberation on Juneteenth (Monday)
3) Tuesday 6/20: All Out to Berkeley to Stop Urban Shield

 

MORE DETAILS:
1) From APTP: First off, thank you to EVERYONE for participating in the #DefundOPD Campaign.
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Fascism Reading List

As we discussed not too long ago in our January dialogue:

Here we are at the start of unpresidented 2017, after the largest inaugural protest in US history, joined by marches around the world. Community organizing and outreach is happening in every state as people prepare for the worst, brace for scary realities on the horizon and work to keep them at bay.… Read more

why you should not call the cops

Cross-posted from Catalyst Project:

Dear Friends,

Trump called himself the ‘law and order candidate’. He’s vocally supported “stop & frisk” policies that target Black and brown communities. His ‘first 100 days’ plan includes expanding federal funding for local police, federal law enforcement, and federal prosecutors.  And he’s promised to have the Attorney General investigate Black Lives Matter protestors for criminal charges.Read more

I Don’t Want to Be an Excuse for Racist Violence Anymore: White women’s passive role in racist attacks like Charleston

This insightful article is cross-posted from New Republic:

By

We cannot talk about the violence that Dylann Roof perpetrated at Emanuel AME last Wednesday night without talking about whiteness, and specifically, about white womanhood and its role in racist violence. We have to talk about those things, because Roof himself did.

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On Rachel Dolezal, White Privilege, and White Shame

Rachel Dolezal Isn’t the Most Important Race Story in Spokane.

But she does seem to be an unraveling puzzle that continues to elicit curiosity, outrage, and comment. From Mia McKenzie’s discussion of Blackness and Blackface, to Kai M Green’s willingness to give Rachel a little more benefit of the doubt in discussing the similarities of race and gender constructs, to Lisa Marie Rollins’ explanation of what transracial actually means, plenty has been said already.… Read more

A Letter to White People Using the Term “Two Spirit”

Thank you for taking the time to read this. This letter was written by white allies in support of certain Native members of our community who have already put a lot of time and energy into trying to explain why it’s a problem when people without Native/First Nations heritage use the term “Two Spirit” to describe themselves.Read more

I Support the #BaltimoreUprising

Cross-posted with permission from Catalyst Project:

“This is not just Baltimore’s problem, like it wasn’t just Ferguson. This is racism in America.”

Dear Friend,

I’m from a majority Black and highly segregated city near Baltimore. Wilmington, Delaware had the longest domestic military occupation since the Civil War when the National Guard occupied the city for 9 months in 1968 after Dr.… Read more

Southerners on New Ground: On the role of white people in the movement at this time

We are excited by the recent post from SONG (Southerners on New Ground):

THERE IS HONOR IN STRUGGLE

THERE IS HONOR IN THE WORK

SONG ON THE ROLE OF WHITE PEOPLE IN THE MOVEMENT AT THIS TIME

It opens with a powerful quote:

“White people are taught that racism is a personal attribute, an attitude, maybe a set of habits.Read more

To say that I’m “too political” is to say that I love too much.

A galvanizing Black leadership has emerged from Ferguson in the weeks and months since the murder of Mike Brown and non-indictment of Darren Wilson which has stoked the fires of resistance across the nation-state, joining with histories of rebellion on this land and across the globe. This wave of uprising against injustice has shown a powerful strength in its messaging, its demands and its ability to continue to dominate the airwaves with important information about racismpolice brutality and white rage against Black progress – an essential movement if we are to have real conversations or effect meaningful change.… Read more

Update on the Indictment

We want to share thoughts and resources regarding the Darren Wilson Indictment released tonight. If you haven’t heard yet, the grand jury concluded there wasn’t enough evidence to indict police officer Darren Wilson of a crime.

Here is a brief FAQ on what that means. If you are interested in plugging into actions, please check out this tumblr page from the Ferguson National Response Network and the Ferguson Action page that share very comprehensive listings of planned actions around the country.… Read more