Well said, and so borrowed.

[minxy]

deepad has said, eloquently, and well:

"I have doubted, often, where the line is drawn between diplomacy and cowardice, and where I place myself on it.

And then there comes a time like this when I choose to speak though I want to merely turn away in disgust, because I cannot consider myself an ally unless I do.

I publicly stand by Avalon's Willow, zvi_likes_tv, sparkymonster, ciderpress, shewhohashope, yeloson, copracat, oyceter, yhlee, spiralsheep, kate_nepveu, ktempest ... and the others, so many, too many people whose time and energy and abilities have been diverted by arguments that do not have genuine learning as their goal. I condemn the flagrant breech of internet morality that has made legal names ammunition against coffeeandink, and personal speculation justified against vom_marlowe."

Well said. I agree. Thank you for allowing me to borrow your words.

Further, I will not financially support professional writers and editors who behave in an unprofessional manner. I can't imagine that they will seek me out here in the internets, but I will not support their poor behavior here either.

I endorse and recommend: verb_noire, a community around a POC genre press. This By Us a project at the University of Minnesota Dance department about visibility and voice, The Remyth Project (there are three pages of witness, of stories and of comments), Asian Women Blog Carnival, The 12th POC SF Carnival: "Got Brown?" and the wealth of books by authors of color discussed, recommended and boosted at 50books_poc and in the comments at coffeeandink's post here. There's an Octavia Butler scholarship, but I've lost the link. rydra_wong and her epic collection of first person account archives of Racefail '09, Ann Somerville's summary of events here.

I encourage: recommendations of books, fanfic or shows I would enjoy by authors of color or about characters of color. I hope you will write about characters of color and give them meaningful roles in your stories, and believe that I will support, read and recommend your work to as great an audience as I can reach. I hope you believe in me enough to call me out on racist shit I might do, will argue with me when I am wrong, and accept my apology when I am contrite.

Like now: I have been silent, many of us have, and we should have been renouncing the appalling behavior and supporting the good fight. I renounce. I support. I will act to affect change as best I may.

Comments

[moondancerdrake.livejournal.com]

Thank you. The reminders of what we all can do to make possitive change is very improtant in all of this.

[skywardprodigal.livejournal.com]

Thanks for making this post.