I keep saying folks use shallow acknowledgment of the fact “harm exists” to stand in for actual self criticism, self-reflection and moving in a way that reduces the harm they personally perpetuate harm as they benefit from and participate in oppressive systems. https://twitter.com/jamelthecreator/status/1381680396061057025

“I know academics can be-“
“As a celebrity/rich person..”
“Fellow white people have to acknowledge..”

Are actually just ways folks try to distance themselves from the group to pretend the issue is [x group] but somehow they are the exception.

Even as they acknowledge they *belong to a class of people* who are oppressive, they operate under the belief that their self-awareness and acknowledgement somehow sets them apart from the rest and reduces their culpability for the oppression sustained via their class division.

This is never done in the process of trying to actually destroy class divisions tho. This self-awareness of the violence of their class imposed on those of us outside of it never manifests in them taking power, money, and resources and reallocating them to those of us with none.

Which makes it less about true self-awareness and concern and more of a self-serving manipulation to garner trust and empathy that allows them to retain access to us and legitimacy in our space as “one of the good ones” as they continue to exploit us. It’s gaslighting.