It’s a tricky situation because if everyone thought like you and actually put it into practice then that would be enough. All that is asked of everyone of all shades is that we critically think about the ways in which ideologies that seek to exclude and divide humanity may have influenced our own thinking patterns. Self reflection isn’t going to kill anyone these days but it might make them uncomfortable.

• As it relates to darker skinned people’s feelings( I happen to be one) there really isn’t anything you can do or not do to change that. As long as you are viewing them as your equals and are treating them as such the most you can do is hope they see your earnest intentions.
• As it relates to darker skinned people’s experiences. Usually when a darker skinned person is rehashing some from of unequal treatment they experienced. It often is a form of self therapy or venting as it is most often called. If the subject in question that they are venting about doesn’t really apply to you then there’s no reason to engage with it. You could always give your opinion but if you view it more as a self talk therapy session maybe that would help you not to take personal offense. The thing about the internet is that it didn’t always exist in the way it does today. For many people of color including myself I thought I was isolated in the things I was experiencing and perceiving. So for many people of color it’s just a way to connect with other people of color and any people who may have been socialized to be white that are interested in hearing our perspectives. The issue is that everything a person vents about online is there for everyone to see. I write a lot in my free time. I have hundreds of self therapy sessions on my computer that I have never placed online because they didn’t express clearly what I wanted to say. I just had to work through it in my head and eventually it probably ended up online in a more cohesive form.
• The one last thing I want to make sure that I make clear is that for the most part the first two issues I just mentioned are out of your control. Other than gaining a new perspective on them there’s just not much a person can do in this current climate. The third thing I wanted to address and that I do take very seriously is economic inequality. If a person of color is addressing a sociological interaction that deals with perspective, that to me is vastly different than measurable economic inequality. So if a person of color is asking you to take their personal feelings in to account as it relates to social situations between people I suggest learning a new perspective and moving on. But if a person of color is addressing real measurable statistically driven economic equality you should absolutely take that seriously. Because that issue is actually something that can be changed. If enough people recognize a systemic issue we have ways of organizing and addressing them. To me the greatest gap in understanding between people who are socialized to be white and people who are socialized to be black is vastly different economic situations. Since we know that we are all humans with 99% of the same genetic material. The differences in median household wealth between skin colors is a huge problem. That suggests large scores of people do not view humanity in the same way you and I do and they are putting it into practice. Everything we discuss is all just opinion until we get into subjects like children of color not having enough food to eat, access to clean water(Flint), or access to a decent education. While there are plenty of people who are socialized to be white that don’t receive these things statistically speaking people of color experience inequality in these areas in staggering numbers. This suggests a widespread systemic problem of injustice. I am not in the business of ignoring my conscience to favor the status quo if the status quo is harming innocent children. I am not in the business of supporting a status quo that has measurable results of injustice across the board. If you will for a moment please take the time to really think about how economic inequality could shape the trajectory of one’s life. While I’m aware that the US is overwhelmingly failing all of its citizens there still remains the people least affected by this are overwhelmingly people socialized to be white in this country. We aren’t talking chump change. I mean when you look at the top 20% of earners in this country a small percentage of them have dark skin. The rap industry which was invented by black people as a loophole they could use to circumvent systemic economic inequality. Has placed many more darker skinned people in the upper echelons but not nearly enough to shake a stick at. Also note that without African Americans inventing it to specifically get around the loophole of such a corrupt system. There would be even less of them that would have escaped the system. This is a little unrelated but I’m venting here. The way people who are socialized to be white treat the Hiphop industry disgusts me. To systemically bar black children from a decent education and healthcare . Then to get upset when the men of that culture invent a way to pour wealth back into their communities sickens me. Many people who are socialized to be white for whatever reason seem to become irrationally angry at the thought of African Americans inventing away around systemic economic injustice. Why? Why on earth would a person bemoan creativity that stimulates the US economy to the tune of 10 billion plus per year(Forbes).The fact that economic injustice exists when an industry invented by African Americans is literally helping prop up the US economy in senses me, rant over.