The "Kamala is a cop" narrative is insidious. I'm white. I work in a research field with a diverse group of intelligent, thoughtful people who are liberal, progressive and genuinely care about social justice. Here's the gist of an overheard conversation about Kamala:

"Our criminal justice system is basically slavery by another name. I don't care how much you say you want to change it from within, you can't be a prosecutor without being complicit. How could anyone trust someone who would choose that career?" 2/

It's an insidious line of reasoning because white liberals so readily fall for it and think that they're being good allies by not supporting Kamala. And to see the flaw in the reasoning requires awareness of how our white privilege changes how we view choices. 3/

It's easy to say you'd never go along with such a corrupt system when you're white and the effects of institutional racism will always be abstract to you. Something you choose to think about, not something that batters your awareness daily. 4/

But what were the options for Kamala? They could all be condensed into three paths.
1) Ignore the injustices and just try to live as best she could
2) Protest from outside the system as PoC have been doing for lifetimes with nowhere near the success they deserve
5/

3) Wade directly into the cesspool of the system and try to make whatever changes she could.

Imagine the courage and determination it took to become the first Black female attorney general in California. To create the Back on Track program in the 90s. To become the second... 6/

... Black woman elected to the Senate. You know she must have faced hostility from many of the people she worked with and for. She stuck with it and has made a difference. I absolutely trust her to make a difference on a larger scale.

Perhaps the most telling point, though... 7/

... is that there are plenty of politicians who used to be prosecutors. But I don't recall anyone ever objecting to them on that basis, until it was a Black woman running for President.

Several colleagues are reconsidering. The others are now for #KamalaHarris2020. #KHive FTW!

I also pointed them at @docrocktex26's feed as a source for the kind of insights enriched with history and receipts that go far beyond what can be found in mainstream media, especially regarding nonwhite candidates.

Just stumbled across @blackwomenviews and her treasure trove of informative links about Kamala. I'll be sharing these with coworkers as well. She makes a particularly excellent point here about the "Kamala is a cop" narrative: https://twitter.com/blackwomenviews/status/1164996430119022592?s=19

Woah... When I stepped away for a couple of social-media-free family days, this thread had as much attention as most of mine (hardly any). I came back to 200+ notifications. Looking forward to when I've got the time to read responses and learn from the conversation!