FAQs About Social Justice & Anti-Oppression Work

Why should I ask a white person about oppression?

It is not the responsibility of a marginalized person in your life to educate you on their experience, as that asks them to provide emotional labor for you. Emotional labor is the mental and emotional toll it takes on someone to recall and describe discrimination, trauma, abuse, exploitation, and other forms of oppression that that person and people like them have suffered for centuries. As a white, middle-class, femme-presenting, mostly able-bodied person who is offering this service, my goal is to alleviate the burden of emotional labor from marginalized folks to talk you through the basics of your questions, process your thoughts and feelings, and direct you to the work and content that Black, POC (people of color), queer, Indigenous, transgender, disabled, neurodiverse, and female-identified people have been creating for ages that will give you the answers you’re seeking.

I have a question about a social justice issue and I’m afraid to ask it because I might say it wrong and offend someone. What do I do?

It sounds like you care about the people around you and you want to know more, but you’re not sure what the up-to-date nomenclature is and you don’t want to risk causing harm. It’s great that you are mindful of your potential impact, but you still have questions. Welcome, friend! You’re in the right place. You can ask me any good-faith question you have and I will listen and answer without judgement, then we’ll discuss and see where you may need more education and support.

I asked a question and someone said “just Google it." Google what, exactly? How do I identify a credible source on the topic?

Excellent question! We all know how algorithms can influence everyone’s search results differently (and sometimes scarily). I will show you what to look for in a credible source and keyword terminology so you can Google “it” with confidence.

I think I know what I’m supposed to do and say but I still don’t totally get it, I’m confused and kind of frustrated, and I feel like I can’t say anything or ask anyone about what I’m feeling without sounding like a jerk. What do I do?

Pull up a seat. I’m here to listen, ask questions, understand where you’re coming from, and together we’ll collaborate to address those feelings and see what may be causing the confusion and frustration. We all want to do better and be better, so we’ll take it one step at a time and I’ll be right there with you on your journey.

So what exactly do I need your coaching for if you’re just going to make me read a book?

Fair point! Maybe you don’t. You might just need a nudge in a certain direction and off you’ll go on your own journey of ally work. However, many people appreciate having someone to keep them accountable to actually doing the work. Lots of folks have questions along the way and big, new feelings that emerge for them that benefit from the ongoing space coaching holds to give perspective and feedback. I provide the space, not the expertise, so if you don’t need the space and know where to find the expertise to continue your anti-oppression work, go forth!

I am not an expert in the field of race theory and systemic oppression and not desirous of taking credit for any of the knowledge I pass on in guidance. I will present my thoughts in coaching with the contexts, sources, and materials that I learned from. I will direct clients towards already-existing educational resources by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), queer, transgender, disabled, neurodiverse, and other marginalized peoples and organizations with encouragement and incentive for clients to engage with and pay for those resources.