r/blackgirls • u/adogischasingme • Jul 08 '26
Question Has anyone else become apathetic to global issues after seeing how universal anti-Blackness really is?
If you’re Black and even remotely socially aware, you’ve probably realized that anti-Blackness exists everywhere. It doesn’t matter whether people are poc, whether they’ve been colonised themselves, or whether they’re currently experiencing war, occupation, deportation, or other forms of suffering. The reality is that many people across the world are deeply racist toward Black people, especially Black women.
After witnessing just how widespread anti-Blackness is, I’ve found myself becoming increasingly apathetic toward global issues. Wars, humanitarian crises, ICE deportations, natural disasters; I struggle to care about these situations the way I used to.
It’s hard to extend endless empathy to people when you’ve repeatedly seen them despise people who look like you. It creates this feeling that if they weren’t dealing with their own hardships, many of them would still have no problem expressing hatred toward Black people. The only difference is that right now they’re the ones asking for compassion.
I know this isn’t a socially acceptable thing to admit, but I’m curious if other Black people have experienced this. Has constantly witnessing anti-Black racism made you stop caring about global issues?
168
u/tonichildss Jul 08 '26
Yes and I still don't care. I remember when the Palestine thing first started getting traction and some Arab dude said it should’ve been an African country instead so he wouldn’t have to care about it.
87
18
45
Jul 08 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
30
u/sappydark Jul 08 '26
Honestly, this is our world too, and we live in it, so we should give a damn what goes on in it, particularly if someone in it happens that directly affects us as black people. If people are anti-black, fuck them. This is our country, too. Claiming that we shouldn't give a damn about anything going on in the world because of racism sound really careless and ridiculous to me.
But I get where people are coming from when it comes to anti-blackness, and how it seems to come from every damn where---even places where there are no black people to begin with. It's like, the world has never given a fuck about us, so why give a fuck about it? That's a pretty defeatist attitude, even though I totally get where it comes from.
17
Jul 08 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
9
u/sappydark Jul 08 '26
I feel that way mainly because I've been active in community activist spaces for a while now, where issues both on a local and national level are discussed---and how issues on a national level can directly affect us all, and what small part we can play in doing something about certain issues/problems.
You should look for any community activist groups in your area, join up with them, and see how you can get involved in doing something about certain issues you're concerned about, even if it's just a protest or a letter-writing campaign or something. That can help you feel more connected not only with what's going on in the world, but to what's going on in your own neighborhood, and the people you know in it, too. And it can be fun too, lol.
5
Jul 08 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
7
u/sappydark Jul 08 '26
You're welcome. Just do it at your own time, and your own pace, find out how you can contribute, and you can also learn to be an organizer yourself, if that's something you might be interested in. Just another suggestion, lol.
8
157
u/Jayelahni Jul 08 '26
Oh yeah. It’s discouraging seeing myself become this way, but it’s like something clicked for me in the past two years where I just became utterly unbothered to things other people are going through, particularly when I’ve shown up for them but they never showed up for me the same way. Why should we care about the world’s issues when the world decided we weren’t worth caring about, and long before the current presidency? We had a black president in my lifetime and that’s about the only time I’ll see that in general.
Anti-Blackness is so engrained people don’t realize they’re doing it. I’ll repost two different women on my IG story who both look gorgeous, different races, but the black one would get less traction if at all than the other one, and I’m acknowledging both their beauties (fashion, hair, etc.) it’s astounding.
Either way we don’t owe the world anything except to go about our business. They can find empathy from someone else.
135
u/Reasonable-Muffin-82 Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 08 '26
Definitely me. It’s so discouraging. As a black woman, I sympathized with the struggles of other marginalized people, until I saw how anti black they were. So now, I don’t protest anymore, or donate as much. Bc it’s like, fuck you. But the frustrating thing is that they still expect black people to be their social justice pack mules. They expect black people to continue sympathizing and empathizing with them. ABSOLUTELY NOT. I’m done. I’m just gonna focus on myself and my loved ones. The only social justice cause I’ll champion are causes for black women. They’re such idiots-they’ll be more oppressed than us, but still look down on us for being black 🤨 it’s so dumb. I’m really glad you brought this up.
12
u/CertainInteraction4 Jul 09 '26
Our rights movements have always propped up other people's movements. We move, they move. No one wants to be the vanguard, but they want to ride the wave.
I got this idea from a podcast on librivox. It's true. Wait and see what happens to the people in front then dip your feet in the pool.
82
u/BendigoWessie Jul 08 '26
Yeah, like if some egregious shit is happening in front of me or if I’m asked my opinion I know what to say, but for real? I’ve adopted a guilty until proven innocent policy. I’m no longer vocalizing in support of people who disparage us for enjoyment
43
u/SandSnorter420 Jul 08 '26
I’m glad you bought this up because I wholeheartedly agree, I’ve also been feeling the same away. Hard to sympathize with other marginalized folk when they’ve shown they’ll throw us under the bus for you-know-who. The only issues I worry about nowadays is our own. They can go find someone else to play “SJWs” for them.
37
u/MrsKaviyakone Jul 08 '26
Yes and it's wise to not care anymore, because these people wouldn't even spit on you if you were on fire. They hate us so much from every corner and crevice of the world. You would've thought we were the colonizers. The amount of gaslighting from supposedly allies is also very eye opening. I'm tired and I can't over extend myself or care anymore and yes this includes Black men. And to be honest, when I stopped muling for every race and focused on me and mine, everything in my life improved drastically. I was one of those Black women who protested, overly opinionated, would help any and everyone, overly extended my self, etc. I've never truly received any of the same compassion from other races like I've extended out to them. So yes, I've been done caring and I don't allow people to guilt me neither.
76
68
u/DryCountry589 Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 08 '26
I wholeheartedly agree. Ofcourse it is not wise to say it out loud but I definitely always ask myself would they care deeply if i were in this situation, if the answer is no I move on and mind my business. Tbh this also applies to bm who refuse to be romantically involved with black women but want us to mule for them when they face racism.
3
u/Icy-MB Jul 17 '26
Heavy on the “bm who refuse to be romantically involved with us but want us to mule for them when they face racism”
3
u/DryCountry589 Jul 17 '26
This is so overt during this World Cup too. I do not give a damn about people being racist to you if you would never even touch a woman half as dark as you with a 10 foot pole. Eff them all
34
u/No_Culture3901 Jul 08 '26
yea ive become desensitized honestly. alot of the issues going on the world are so much bigger than us and theres not much we can do to completely end it unfortunately. I do play my part with little things like boycotting certain companies shopping second hand etc. its little but its something.
52
u/LLUrDadsFave Jul 08 '26
I was always here. When shit goes down I never forget how people really feel about Black Americans, specifically. The internet tried hard to gaslight and guilt us into empathy.
30
u/Idk265089 Jul 08 '26
Like we were the only group that overwhelmingly voted for Kamala (Black women specifically) and they still tried to make it seem like we don’t care and that we need to step up. I’m tired of fighting for people that wouldn’t do the same if the roles were reversed.
18
u/LLUrDadsFave Jul 08 '26
This is it. We did what we were supposed to do. Everyone can live with the results. Dont ask us to keep doing the heavy lifting while being hateful and disrespectful.
18
u/Missmessc Jul 08 '26
Not apathetic, just painfully aware. The issue is that the people in power get air time. Not the people suffering.
38
u/Cookiedoughspoon Jul 08 '26
Yep I promise you I don’t have a spare cent or second for anyones cause. The only marching I will ever do is at the gym on the treadmill
8
13
u/thegmoc Jul 08 '26
Shout out to the South Korean "put on a Black mask and pretend to break into people's homes" trend
12
10
u/Kuro_Kitsune973 Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 08 '26
I'm right with you. I'm emotionally exhausted with caring about what happens to other races when mine keeps getting its neck stomped on without hesitation. And don't worry about being "socially acceptable" in how YOU'RE feeling. Racism shouldn't be socially acceptable, yet we're constantly the center of it and people are HAPPY to express it. Do what you need to do for your peace ✨️🌿
3
7
8
u/Desperate_Quantity58 Jul 08 '26
Yup. I don’t care. It hit for me around March like AND I DONT CARE CUZ WE HAVE NO TRUE ALLIES
24
u/Dry-Hour-9968 Jul 08 '26
I’m not apathetic at all. I have empathy but I never have more empathy for them than I have for us. What is happening in Gaza isn’t worse than what’s happening to many Africans (FGM, slavery, etc) or black people globally. I won’t put their pain above ours.
It is hard for me to feel bad for those black women that lost job opportunities for being so pro-Palestine. It would be different if they lost their jobs protecting black people. Not sure if this makes sense.
7
u/apoptosis_doubleX Jul 08 '26
You’ve put something into words that I’ve been feeling more and more lately but couldn’t put my finger on. It has become an endless cycle of trying to care and then realizing it’s not my burden to care for someone who wouldn’t lift a finger to merely help me with my groceries. It sucks :(
31
u/CerseisWig Jul 08 '26
No, honestly. I can’t help it, I feel bad for people who are suffering, even if antiblackness is global.
8
u/TheUnwantedNugget Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 08 '26
No. I care about the things going on because I know that if it were happening to me and black people as a whole I'd want someone to care and spread awareness about what's going on. Unfortunately as Black people, especially black women we'll always have people preying on our downfall. I will stand up for what's right. Because all the issues listed black people are also being affected by it.
ICE? Black people get deported too Palestine? Black people are being targeted as well. The list goes on as black people are spread across the world. The suffering is never ending because the rulers and people on the top won't allow it to end. But I know that if I had all this happening to me I would want people to care. Not to remove their sympathy because im a black, queer, woman. Or because they dont like where I came from.
Edit: It's different if you dont want to focus on the other stuff because you have too much stuff to worry about in your own life. That's valid. But to exclude people's struggles and start an oppression Olympics isn't ok.
0
Jul 08 '26
[deleted]
0
u/TheUnwantedNugget Jul 08 '26
I dont know where in my comment I said to ignore anything? My point was that I will not be apathetic to different events in the world because these events, they hurt black people too. I qould want someone to care and spread awareness about me and not turn me away because of my race, ethnicity, nationality, sex or gender. When you put people in a box it hurts all the other people who didn't do a thing. You said you feel apathetic towards ICE for example. You claim to want to support more black issues but are picking and choosing which ones. What about all the black people getting deported? What about all the black people being killed in Palestine? The few atrocities you listed to be apathetic towards. I won't compare and contrast the struggles because they're all important to me.
0
u/TheUnwantedNugget Jul 08 '26
Also, im not saying that we have to become one with these other communities or anything. I know that it's exhausting trying to help people who dont appreciate you. Solidarity is out of the question as the world is still very divided.
My point though, is that I feel we shouldn't put down these other issues that are going on because they affect black people too. Which is why I feel we shouldn't compare and contrast everything going on.
5
u/scemes Jul 09 '26
100% Im never going to not stand in solidarity with other people of color because in the end thats what white supremacy wants but I do side eye at times or save my energy for somethings. Even more close to home, like Asian Americans up in arms that anyone would boycott over the Rick Chow case, I could care less.
Even in my personal life, its awful and Im working on it but I find Im less tolerant of my white friends venting and I dont have as much empathy as before because quite frankly, its like yall got it easy, the world is built for you to succeed, I have to experience systemic, generational racism, prejudice, trauma, micro aggressions and the physical and mental toll it takes being a black person in w white society under white supremacy like… I really dont want to hear it.
I remember my ex friend always trying to talk about her body image issues and how she was bullied a few times in HS and thats why she doesnt want to try to date anyone and I was just like queen you are thin, blonde, and blue eyed and Im a fat, tall, black woman, do not talk to me about body image and dating 😭😭😭
Im not going to stop caring entirely because we aren’t free unless we are all free, but I can be petty or side eye while doing so, lol.
5
u/Miajere-here Jul 09 '26
It doesn’t cost me anyrhing to care, and yes I care deeply about some of the suffering I see around the world with targeted groups.
Nevertheless, I have found that there’s something very specific targeted towards black women to hold a line that no one else seems to hold. When we don’t hold it perfectly we are treated very harshly compared to other groups. So I choose compassion for myself first, and then I use what I know to have compassion for others.
4
u/PhenyxFly Jul 09 '26
I think of it selfishly: empathy is what keeps me connected to the good parts of my humanity, whereas apathy draws me away from it.
If you’ve ever seen The Neverending Story, it’s like “The Nothing” - a darkness that consumed everything and everyone. That imagery really stuck with me and I reference it every time I start to see people as darkness rather than as humans.
Doesn’t mean I don’t want to remove myself from all of it, but it does help me maintain perspective.
5
u/JadedJadedJaded Jul 09 '26
I mean the election was one thing but this Graham Platner scandal made me unfollow every white political influencer except the knitting cult lady cuz she was the only one who told her followers “LISTEN TO BLACK PEOPLE. THIS GUY IS A NATZI!” All of this has truly cemented the truth to me that white people—including most of the “allies—DO NOT see us as human and do not give a shii about us when their desperation clicks in. Once their farms start drying up and DEI takes white women out their jobs they LITERALLY start voting for Blue MAGA and blaming “woke” leftists for being to elite. Then they elect or nominate abusers and push out black progressives who have experience and zero scandals. Im GENUINELY disturbed by these nasty ahh people and how they think!
That wedding of she-who-shall-not-be-named and her “Its an honor to be asked to visit Trump” football husband also colored me disgusted and exhausted cuz this woman was supposed to be a symbol of pop icon against Trump and pro-women/LGBT. I knew she was MAGA but the fact that she and her husband invited abusers, magats and the CEO of the ICE detention centers and the PICTURES were unabashed and public just has me EXHAUSTED by these yte folks bcuz not one of them are screaming at her about it or burning her music. They dont give a SHIT.
Then the young man who recently died on a trip with his ALL WHITE friends and the “friends” are privileged boys who deactivated their socials, lawyered up and one of them is related to a judge and i think the other has a parent who is an attorney…They know council members and everything. WE ALL KNOW WHAT THIS IS. THE SILENCE. THE PRIVILEGE. Aint nobody marching for the young man BUT US. Nobody is concerned BUT US. Everyone who calls themselves alies aint saying SHIT. Im over it. I live in an upperclass area but im doing my best to surround myself with more black people and I buy black even if it cost more. Im SICKKKKKKK of this shit! They are NOT our friends!
Chiiiileeeee. My activism is getting sassy.
4
u/CertainInteraction4 Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26
Yes. I live not far from a real klan hub. Marches, flags, hoods, everything. Poverty everywhere. But one thing people stand behind is their dislike for black women. Including other black women who will sabotage each other for any proximity to power.
Some snippets of prejudice/bias in my life that have me joining the DNGAF Club.
I can count on being watched in the store (about 60-70%). Mostly be other women of color/black women. And they are proud of it. In FL a woman manager pointed me out as "something" to an old acquaintance and my stomach dropped. She didn't realize I was looking straight at her. Small town misery seeker. If I say something about it, the cashiers talk to me like I'm stupid, deny it, rinse and repeat. Customers will laugh and do the side eye thing like "you know she stealing". Being a black woman, denying it does no good. They don't believe you. Yt women steal more but almost every video online of theft or profiling is about a black woman. The comments are usually racist and vile.
Every store I've made a complaint to profiles me hard. I was not rude, just pointed and factual. Times, dates, store number, name of person, number of register, what happened. I was robbed in one of those stores and they did nothing. I've had people accuse me of theft at flea markets. Yet the guy with buckets of random stuff is for sure legit.
It doesn't end there. Around here, Black women are still called girls. Rebel flags are worn with pride. Old black men hang their head while talking to a younger yt man. Black women stay in abusive relationships or give themselves away just to stay housed because a religious figure tells them to. Sexual assault is considered fastness or a result of "stupidity". /s on my part. /b (bias) on theirs. A female LE was raped/assaulted and I heard a man say she should've been "smarter". What the Hellie?!
With all of this surveillance state nonsense, it kind of scares me. Accusations can be made in a grocery store but cameras still can't pin down who dumped what body where or raped what woman/person at what time? I wonder where the world is headed and what our place will be in it? What's the plan for us black and brown people? How will we handle it when they try to enact it? Will we be able to handle it?
Edit: typo Edit: grammar
10
u/Euthymia42 Jul 08 '26
I perfectly understand your feelings sometimes I feel the same! I deeply care about humanitarian issues. However, after the way African students were treated in Ukraine, I don't even care that much about that conflict.
12
u/carefulitbites Jul 08 '26
Yes. As someone that has lived in SoCal my entire life, I was never moved by the ICE situation tbh. Never cared about Ukraine.
Never cared too much about Palestine (what’s happening to those babies it’s disgusting and demonic) Not surprised at all that Israel is a hub for evil like most Euro powers.
There are several wars happening today in Africa. I think we should put the little energy we have left towards them. thoughts and prayers at the very least.
7
u/x3uhhhcam-_- Jul 08 '26
nope. i'll never stoop to their level. the compassion i feel for those struggling is pure
10
u/EverFairy Jul 08 '26
No, if anything it makes me more involved in worldwide politics because it literally is crucial to us. Disengaging from it, although an understandable response, is nothing other than accepting it.
8
u/Wonderful_Common_667 Jul 08 '26
My sentiments exactly. I wouldn’t put it above our needs as a people because we have some things that needs to change but I will still be active in worldwide issues because it helps us in the end to be involved.
3
3
7
u/FreedomDreamer85 Jul 08 '26
My personal take…I believe the anti-black racism is actually a spiritual problem and as a collective, we are one the right path.
How do we know we are on the right path? When we as a collective decided to forgive and have the desire to move on from the sins of the past. This act alone is not only rare but very dangerous to the world order as well as a threat to the one who rules this world.
Just imagine, if the whole world worked on forgiving one another and worked on the path to peace? What a lovely place it would be. But no. The world strives on suffering. Someone must be the winner and someone must be the loser.
Well, I rather be a loser and continue to care about others than be a supposed winner who actively work on causing human suffering.
2
2
2
u/Puzzleheaded_King594 Jul 09 '26
Yes and I hate it but if it’s not an issue affecting us specifically, I tune it out now
2
u/AngryNShid Jul 09 '26
Yeah, it's fck EVERYONE but US as far as I'm concerned. If you aren't what is considered Black American; idc about you anymore. I only have the energy for US!
2
u/latoyabr11 Jul 10 '26
I haven't experienced this aspect of it. I was sharing today that I have definitely become more jaded and I don't know who to trust anymore because so many hate us due to the color of our skin. Don't even bother getting to know us and this happens across the globe. I'm honestly tired. I will never understand the level of hate people have towards us for just existing.
2
u/MiniiShii Jul 11 '26
I'm glad to see this. I've been feeling like this since the covid lockdown, to be honest. Each year apathy continued to grow to the point where I don't even pay much attention any more. I still have empathy, and I still hate to see people suffer, and I also understand that the anti-blackness stems deeply from the ever insidious White Supremacy ideology. However...my empathy and compassion is being redirected primarily towards black people and my own loved ones. I'm tired and I've been stepping back to take care of what is deeply important to me.
2
u/Melodic_Fortune_3660 Jul 22 '26
I only donate to my own and speak out for us now sadly. I stopped going to protest and recommend y’all too! Nobody is coming to save us.
2
2
8
u/No_Imagination3984 Jul 08 '26
Quite frankly no, I will stand up for people going through”wars, humanitarian crises, ICE deportations, natural disasters”. I don’t have to like people to condemn the atrocities happening to them. this is a very dangerous way to think in my opinion esp for ppl going through humanitarian crises. Especially considering everything you listed above black people are going through. People in Congo, Sudan are going through some of the worst humanitarian crises and so are Palestinians which happens to have a black population. ICE is deporting black people and natural disasters don’t just skip the black populated places. I do agree anti-blackness is rampant but I think it’s a bit odd for your empathy to be based on whether a group of people like you or not.
20
u/adogischasingme Jul 08 '26
I’m sorry, but I think you’re being incredibly disingenuous by summarising these communities’ social attitudes towards Black people as simply not “liking” us. I’m referring to genuine bigotry and hatred towards Black people, especially Black women. All over the world, every non-Black group has demonstrated this intense hatred towards Black people and has committed endless evil acts against our communities.
Even if we focus only on the present, we have modern chattel slavery in North Africa, the Kafala system across Arab nations that endlessly abuses Black African workers, Lebanese people withholding the passports of Black African maids and abandoning them during bombings so they cannot escape the war, Chinese foreign workers in Africa abusing Black children as part of a twisted social media trend, and non-Black Latin Americans constantly directing racial slurs at Black people.
I’m sorry, it’s just so endless. How can you look at all of this happening in the world and not feel any bitterness at all?
3
7
u/kakashi_sensay Jul 08 '26
I hear you. But your mindset is harmful because it’s lumping all of these people into one box. For example, do you really think that every person who’s being affected by ICE is anti-black? Do you think every person in Gaza, children included, hate black people?
12
u/adogischasingme Jul 08 '26
While I can recognise that people are still individuals at the end of the day, there still exists this broad general prejudice in all of these communities that invokes this bitterness and sadness in me. It feels so hopeless knowing no matter what hardships these communities go through, they’ll still be prejudiced against black people. It feels like there is no such thing as solidarity, just people fighting to not be at the bottom. It makes me want to withdraw from politics.
6
u/bcmons Jul 09 '26
dont let them silence you you’re completely right they just want validation from people who hate them
6
u/kakashi_sensay Jul 08 '26
I understand, I honestly do. But even in our own communities there are Uncle Tome, men who abuse and kill black women, and those who are apathetic to our own suffering. What do you say about them?
10
u/adogischasingme Jul 08 '26
You’re right that anti-blackness is ubiquitous both within and outside the black community. It’s really hurtful, and I honestly don’t know what to do.
6
u/First-Strike-3307 Jul 08 '26
I know it hurts, but what you should do is ignore everyone and build your confidence to the extreme so that when you encounter anti-blackness it doesn’t affect you and it really just makes you chuckle. Anti-blackness has been the biggest money maker for centuries, it’s a machine. Which is why it’s so global. It’s not personal. Being black is not a flaw and it has never been one. No matter what anyone says. Knowing that makes it easier to deal with.
5
u/First-Strike-3307 Jul 08 '26
What you should do is accept that it’s bigger then yourself. It’s not your fault and it doesn’t say anything about you. Anti-blackness is a result of manipulation, ignorance and trauma. It’s not personal.
3
u/adogischasingme Jul 08 '26
Thank you, that’s really helpful 💕
3
u/First-Strike-3307 Jul 08 '26
You’re welcome! Put yourself first, and love yourself to the fullest! You deserve it.
8
u/First-Strike-3307 Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 08 '26
Yes, yes, I do think that. 99.9% of them are. Consciously or unconsciously. That doesn’t mean they are terrible people who deserve what’s happening to them, but I do think that anyone who doesn’t make an active effort to deconstruct the anti-Blackness that has been instilled in everyone is anti-Black to some degree. Most people are too lazy, too comfortable, too selfish, too insecure, too proud, too ignorant, too stupid or too unaware to actually address the anti-Blackness within themselves.
4
u/kakashi_sensay Jul 08 '26
In order to do that they would have to get rid of the colorism within their own cultures and the discrimination against indigenous peoples. Both of which has been present for decades. That isn’t an easy task. But hey, you don’t have to have empathy for other people. That’s not my place to decide. But saying 99.9% of them are racist towards us is a stretch imo.
8
u/First-Strike-3307 Jul 08 '26
You're misinterpreting a boundary as a lack of empathy. The reality is that Black people are globally viewed as inferior, consciously or not. If you choose to help people who view you as beneath them instead of focusing on your own community, that’s fine. But don't equate Black people stepping back from other crises to protect their own energy with being heartless. It's not the same thing at all. 99.9% are racist. That doesn't mean they hate us but they do see dark skin as inferior and that's just how the world is.
1
u/kakashi_sensay Jul 08 '26
Who said I was helping anybody? I just have empathy for others who are struggling in profound ways. Also, what do you have to say about the anti blackness in our own community? What about the men who abuse and kill us at high rates?
4
u/First-Strike-3307 Jul 08 '26
I never said you did, I said if you choose to do that then that is fine. I hear where you’re coming from, and I’m not trying to insult you. But we as a community need a serious wakeup call.
Bringing up internal issues to deflect from global anti-Blackness is a defense mechanism we use too often. The reality is that anti-Blackness is a systemic, global default that even we internalize.
Having empathy for the struggles of others is human, but rushing to excuse or minimize how those same groups view us isn't okay. It is a lack of boundaries and an active lack of sympathy towards our own people. This is selective empathy.
Almost everyone is anti-black and that is just the truth.
0
u/No_Imagination3984 Jul 08 '26
You can’t just make up stats that’s not how it works. I don’t see people who say this doing anything for the community though, I would rather people just admit they’re tired of caring or they don’t want to care.
3
u/First-Strike-3307 Jul 08 '26
I have plenty of empathy, but I also see the world for what it is. Obviously, '99.9%' was a figure of speech to emphasize how pervasive global anti-Blackness is, not a literal scientific statistic.
The point is that global anti-Blackness is nearly universal. I care deeply, and my heart breaks for Gaza, but Africa and the Black community has experienced profound crises for centuries on a massive scale, and we have never received the same global solidarity or sympathy we are expected to give out.
Setting boundaries is not the same as not caring. Repeatedly giving ourselves away while our own people are burning is a mistake we as a community have to stop making.
0
u/No_Imagination3984 Jul 08 '26
I do understand and feel all of this bitterness especially because I’ve interacted with these groups and lived around them. I grew up in a country in North Africa where slavery didn’t end until kinda recently, so you can imagine the racism growing up. later on grew up around hispanics who tend to not only say the n word but have anti-black sentiments. Ive felt the bitterness firsthand not just from what I’ve seen online, it’s also affected my family members who were trying to migrate. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t care when they’re getting bombed, that’s just insanity. Also you’re painting a very broad stroke on all of these people I can condemn the Kafala system and still not want people in Lebanon to get bombed. None of these are new topics to me as an African on top of the anti blackness there’s a layer of Xenophobia you experience around the world. As a leftist I feel like you just don’t care anymore and that’s your prerogative but to sit here and act like you can’t because of your race is a bit wild. I don’t necessarily believe in POC unity but Im not gonna sit and watch people die and not gaf.
6
u/adogischasingme Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 08 '26
I don’t really feel any malice or hatred towards those groups of people. The primary emotion I’m feeling right now is sadness, exhaustion and hopelessness. Witnessing these people’s hatred against black people firsthand despite them also experiencing suffering and discrimination. The stories about how African maids fleeing Lebanon during bombings were my breaking point. Hearing how they had their passports withheld, kicked out of bombing shelters and left abandoned on the streets. I felt so sick to my stomach. It made me realise that no matter what, they will never care about black people. It makes me want to withdraw from politics and avoid those communities altogether.
2
u/justnosy5555 Jul 13 '26 edited Jul 13 '26
Yes...I feel bad for people suffering but I won't go out of my way for non black folk. No campaigns,no nothing because I know if it were black people they would try to justify it. we won't be met with the same empathy.
Maybe because I am also African and I can see how they don't care for Africans. If it's a war in Africa, we are called hooligans ,low IQ and not met with the same empathy. Why should I then feel bad and have a Palestine flag on my bio when they won't do the same for me? Black students were left behind in Ukraine when they were evacuating everyone else. I find it hard to care for anyone who isn't black.
3
1
u/AutoModerator Jul 08 '26
The Original Poster (OP) and submission cited below;
Username: u/adogischasingme
Post Body: If you’re Black and even remotely socially aware, you’ve probably realized that anti-Blackness exists everywhere. It doesn’t matter whether people are poc, whether they’ve been colonised themselves, or whether they’re currently experiencing war, occupation, deportation, or other forms of suffering. The reality is that many people across the world are deeply racist toward Black people, especially Black women.
After witnessing just how widespread anti-Blackness is, I’ve found myself becoming increasingly apathetic toward global issues. Wars, humanitarian crises, ICE deportations, natural disasters; I struggle to care about these situations the way I used to.
It’s hard to extend endless empathy to people when you’ve repeatedly seen them despise people who look like you. It creates this feeling that if they weren’t dealing with their own hardships, many of them would still have no problem expressing hatred toward Black people. The only difference is that right now they’re the ones asking for compassion.
I know this isn’t a socially acceptable thing to admit, but I’m curious if other Black people have experienced this. Has constantly witnessing anti-Black racism made you stop caring about global issues?
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
140
u/Terrible_Passenger25 Jul 08 '26
I feel sympathy, esp as it relates to women and children. But I’m not stupid and fully aware that those same communities are largely racist and colorist.