Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
Since Hamas’ despicable Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, anyone with a public-facing job has faced pressure to state their individual position on Palestine, Israel, Hamas, Islamophobia and antisemitism. If you are Black and are wondering how to navigate this complex issue without suffering any backlash, allow me to offer a few suggestions.
Why are you laughing?
My editor had the exact same response when I suggested a 1,500-word piece on this subject! Between side-eyes and guffaws, she assured me that this was an impossible task. She calculated that a nuanced article on this issue would require at least 239,493 words. However, she relented after I reminded her of one simple fact.
I’m a Black writer.
Black people in journalism, media or places where people wear neckties are rarely asked their their opinions on political issues. Instead, they are asked to speak for Black people. While white journalists are never asked to explain the positions of their Caucasian community, even the most prominent Black reporters and “thought leaders” are expected to encapsulate the entirety of Black political opinion in eight paragraphs or five minutes. So as soon as I finished talking to NPR about the “Black vote” and explaining Black history to the Washington Post (this actually happened), I decided to Blacksplain how to correctly express…
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