So... I want to try to have a nuanced conversation about this article.

Please read the article before you jump all over what I say in the next tweet.

The underlying issues the situation raised are not complicated, but the specific situation is...odd.

1/ https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/08/meta-arguments-about-anti-racism/615424/

I agree FULL STOP white women should not speak for Black people, especially when the Black woman in question is speaking for herself

I think this Robin person sounds legit crazy

But I also agree this looked like a blatant attempt to play the black friend card, twice

Thoughts?

That doesn't mean, in any way, that I think the way the white women reacted was warranted. And I definitely don't understand why she kept saying that he "hurt" people once the situation had been cleared up.

This whole thing just sounds like a huge mess.

It doesn't sound like Robin and her friends are upset about him using his Black friends to defend his intentions, which was my first reaction.

She thinks his holding a Black child on his lap is inherently triggering or traumatizing. And 100 parents agreed with her.

It's unclear if the 100 parents were mad, or if they became mad when Robin called them up and "explained" that they should be mad.

I see people saying, "Don't do this Sally"

But I'm in a lot of spaces where people ask me these kinds of questions. Especially recently, and that's a beautiful thing.

But I don't know everything, so I was hoping we could talk this through so I can make sure I understand.