Out Loud

Tragedy strikes — again, and then again. After the initial shock from the swift return to the realities of pre-COVID white man violence towards any and every community that seems out of white supremacy norms, came the now predictive rhetoric of the “who done it” dissonance to follow.

With the news feed after the shooting in Georgia came the audacity to instruct Black people on how to support the Asian community in their time of need — as if tragedy is where our strong suit lies. A white man murders nine people and somehow the narrative of how Black people can do better is interjected in the conversation. This is not about us.

This advice by no others than the white do-gooders who believed that that would be the most appropriate course of action. Side note: White folks, stop telling other communities how to act. But I digress.

This whole white privilege thing really has a strong hold, which prevents the vision of BIPOC sovereignty. Realize that BIPOC people have and do support, love, grow and work together without the directive of a white savior.

The parallels of the oppression throughout BIPOC communities by white supremacy are coming to a head. The microaggressively sexualized or asexualization of women, fetishized, praised for intelligence and ostracized if their language choice is not American English, is absolutely intersectional.

How do we see each other? Is this reality different for Asian Americans? The so-called “model minority”?

Is it evident that we are all working against the same oppression. Is that oppression really understood by the privileged community to have come from BIPOC communities themselves? I want to believe we are past that misconception. But then again…

We all witnessed a Black state legislator being arrested as she politely knocked on the closed doors of the governor signing a bill that is clearly retribution for the Black success in voting in the last congressional and presidential elections.

As we shout “Black Lives Matter,” as we discuss changing the names of mountains back to the original Indigenous glory as well as attempt to normalize bi-cultural standards and immigrants’ lived experience, we are still not addressing the perpetual standards that continue to allow these conditions to be defined as a BIPOC problem.

In fact it is these very conditions we are enduring. The white community has to look at how the issues of white dissonance has led to white terrorism and how the false narrative of supremacy has lied to them. If we don’t address white violence as a crisis in our society we are actively ignoring evidence of the fallacy of white supremacy and the opportunity to dismantle it.

Ayisha Elliott’s podcast Black Girl From Eugene is raw and uncensored monologues and conversations about living while Black in the PNW. Listen locally at 11 am Sundays on FB Live; simulcast on KEPW 97.3 FM. Find it on all major podcasting platforms. You can support BGFE at Patreon.com/Blackgirlfromeugene_1.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!