I purchased a consulting hour with MeLisa to discuss social media and get feedback on the best ways to respond/engage or even participate at all with conversations surrounded race, appropriation and white supremacy on online platforms (specifically Facebook).
I felt a bit defeated when reading a social media article that sparked a heated and lengthy conversation around celebrity allies in racial relations on a Facebook post and noticed no one of colour was part of the conversation. I wanted to contribute, but as a white woman, felt I wanted more guidance or education on how to do that, as it brought up self-reflection on my motivations behind it, and what actual education I had to begin with.
It was definitely a small part of a larger conversation, but within my hour with MeLisa, she provided a safe space right from the get-go, with a mutual understanding that I may say something ignorant – that was okay – and if so, I was educated on that ignorance. Beyond valuable. I was able to spew out all my questions at the beginning and we tackled them one-by-one for the rest of the hour, diving into further conversation and opening up other questions.
I left our session feeling a bit of relief, knowing that no – I didn’t now know everything – but the conversation was at least started, in my opinion, with the right person, in the right space and it had heightened my awareness on the subject. These conversations are never easy, but felt that I had acquired additional tools that would help me in future conversations with others. Thank you MeLisa!
-Emilia: Web Designer