(Also, the many, *many* white ppl who are suddenly following me on IG are going to do/say some out-of-line, too-familiar shit and I’mma have to block them. I can feel it already.)

anyway, yeah a whole lot of people have been putting up these IG stories that say "IT'S TIME TO LISTEN TO BLACK VOICES" ...before attributing me via tag next to a quote that was actually said by @JamilSmith 🙃

(Also, we know how this goes, right? This is the kind of thing a certain cohort of “I’m trying to do better”-ass white person does. just randomly, en masse, start following Black people bc some newsletter or listicle abt “how to be a good ally”?)

(This sets up a weird parasocial dynamic in which the aforementioned listicled Black person is not a person but, effectively, white ppl’s homework assignment. And so these same ppl start to wyl’ out in your mentions comments when they realize that’s not what this finna be.)

(It’s not even just the bristling abt black shit, although there’s plenty of that. It’s the “I’m not following you to read abt basketball,” which is a thing that happened.)

(The kind of ppl who are going to start following @ztsamudzi or whomever bc they saw their names on a list meant to flatter their racial politics — or their perceptions of their racial politics — are going to demand primers and absolution and do *five* much in mentions/comments.)

🙄

@GeeDee215 Dude. We are not popular when things ain’t shitty. Sorry. 🤷🏽‍♂️

@DrPhilGoff Ugh. Ugh.

@GeeDee215 Right. I was talking with @louise_seamster about this earlier. I’m glad folks are asking me to write but I’ve been saying similar stuff for a while now. This is what it takes for some people to hear.

@victorerikray @louise_seamster SIGH. Oh, bc i ain't said it yet: you are necessary.

@GeeDee215 Code Switch is being circulated among many law firm "how to be an ally!" lists lol

@quidditch424 oh god oh god oh god

@GeeDee215 Doing necessary and important work, good brother. 🙏🏾

@trymainelee Trynna get like you, T

@GeeDee215 I see lots of explanatory commas in your future.

@KirstinYklj Ugh, take that back

@GeeDee215 On heavy rotation since the beginning! 💪🏽

@SimoneCyra ! ey, thanks for rocking with us back when we ain't know what we was doing

@GeeDee215 Thanks for the work you’ve been doing (and ditto for you, @RadioMirage ). I know this isn’t a new phenomenon, and part of my understanding of that is because of y’all. Here’s hoping those new followers explore the catalog and, you know, listen. 🤞🏻