White WI Superintendant Candidate Says She Was Called N-Word Bc Of Her lip

[BUtterfield 8 41,818]

The Associated Press reports that Deborah Kerr, who is a state superintendent candidate, posted and deleted a tweet Tuesday in which she claimed to have been called the n-word as a teenager because “my lips were bigger than most and that was the reference given to me.”

From AP:

The tweet from Kerr’s account came in response to a question posed by the host of a podcast called Race Through Education, Madison Payton, who is also coordinator of curriculum and instruction at a New York City high school. Payton asked: “When was the first time someone called you the n-word? I was 18.”

Kerr responded: “I was 16 in high school and white — my lips were bigger than most and that was the reference given to me.”

“The tweet was intended for Black/brown folks who have experienced significant trauma in their lives because of whiteness and white supremacy,” Payton told AP. “I’m disappointed that a white person, let alone a candidate for a very important position in education, would think that it is appropriate to use her experience in this space made for us.”

Anyway, according to the Wisconsin State Journal, Kerr’s bottom lip came out of hiding Wednesday so that she could apologize for the ill-advised tweet.

“Yesterday I posted a tweet in response to a post that dealt with the issue of racism,” Kerr said while waiting for her top lip to come out join the conversation (I’m guessing). “While not intending the post to be interpreted as racist, the post was itself insensitive and so I shut my account down and removed the comment.”

“I do not shy away from conversations about race,” she added. “In fact, I am very vocal about racism as it exists in its many forms and I intentionally point to it when I see it. I apologize for having posted something that was intended to be a part of the discussion of racism. I will continue to serve as a champion against racism in our schools and in our communities.”

Source

 

[Economy 52,844]

Ok i dont think this is the worst thing ever.

 

She didnt seem to be implying it was the same for her as a black person being called that but its still a relevant experience in the context of racism in the sense that ppl were associating a physical trait with a race and turning it into a negative thing and accompanying it with a slur while making the connection of that trait with black people. And clearly she meant well

 

Ppl were upset she brought up the experience and she was sensitive enough to others perspectives about it to removed it and apologize

 

I dont think theres a tone here to drag her for tbh

[BUtterfield 8 41,818]

2 minutes ago, Economy said:

Ok i dont think this is the worst thing ever.

 

She didnt seem to be implying it was the same for her as a black person being called that but its still a relevant experience in the context of racism in the sense that ppl were associating a physical trait with a race and turning it into a negative thing and accompanying it with a slur while making the connection of that trait with black people. And clearly she meant well

 

Ppl were upset she brought up the experience and she was sensitive enough to others perspectives about it to removed it and apologize

 

I dont think theres a tone here to drag her for tbh

[Economy 52,844]

5 minutes ago, BUtterfield 8 said:

U can disagree...

 

but if u think someone with the best of intentions has a lapse in judgement and apologizes and takes step to correct their error still has to dragged...

 

This is the kind of extreme in PC culture (especially online/social media) that turns ppl off and get annoyed by it.

 

Ppl arent perfect and mistakes will happen and its good when they are willing to admit it and apologize and its part of a learning process

 

But if it makes u feel better or empowered go ahead and drag her u technically have the right. But u dont have the kind of attitude that i think is helping heal the world tbh and that is my opinion 

[BUtterfield 8 41,818]

3 minutes ago, Economy said:

But if it makes u feel better or empowered go ahead and drag her u technically have the right. But u dont have the kind of attitude that i think is helping heal the world tbh and that is my opinion 

Calm down please

[StarstruckIllusion 53,564]

I mean I get that tweet being for PoC only, but this does make the case that anti-blackness can affect everyone, not just black people. Definitely not to the same degree, though. 

[Economy 52,844]

1 minute ago, BUtterfield 8 said:

Calm down please

All i did was explain why i feel the person in ur OP is hardly drag worthy. 

 

I can easily also say u need to calm if ur triggered by that

 

 

[Economy 52,844]

14 minutes ago, StarstruckIllusion said:

I mean I get that tweet being for PoC only, but this does make the case that anti-blackness can affect everyone, not just black people. Definitely not to the same degree, though. 

Definitely not to the same degree. But it definitely still seems relevant.

 

It basically showed the racist attitude to make a connection of a physical trait in a negative way and attach a slur on top of that. Its not about the white woman who got called that, its clearly the racist attitude attached to it (yes against black ppl)

 

So i dont think she did anything wrong bringing up the experience tbh. It seems relevant

 

But what kind gets me is that some ppl disagree she should of mentioned it (a valid opinion too) and she took it back keeping in mind others perspective on tge matter, deleted it and apoligized and some still wanna drag her

 

Like do some ppl love literally just to drag and cancel? At what point is this just becoming a thrill or sport now? Cuz the threshold for making a big deal of stuff is becoming unfathomably low, like no one can make the tiniest planck length mistake anymore and if they do a sincere apology STILL isnt enough  

 

EDIT: well this comment can apply to general situations like this but according to another user this particular woman may not actually have good intentions. I dont know about her as an individual so i cant refute that

[lady siwa 967]

12 minutes ago, Economy said:

but if u think someone with the best of intentions

I live in Wisconsin and have been following our superintendent race the past few weeks. I see where you’re coming from but this woman has nothing close to the best intentions, especially for people of color and many kids who were part of her school district have said similar things. 

[Economy 52,844]

3 minutes ago, lady siwa said:

I live in Wisconsin and have been following our superintendent race the past few weeks. I see where you’re coming from but this woman has nothing close to the best intentions, especially for people of color and many kids who were part of her school district have said similar things. 

Well if u know more about her and she has a certain reputatio then i definitely take it back. Is she hypocritical? Problematic in a way that suggests she thinks shes a champain for race but actually bigoted herself even if she doesnt realize it?

 

I was basing my opinion off of what was posted on the OP

 

If u have more background story and context to her history then that changes things. @BUtterfield 8 i was only going off of ur OP and what was posted here

[lady siwa 967]

6 minutes ago, Economy said:

Problematic in a way that suggests she thinks shes a champain for race but actually bigoted herself even if she doesnt realize it?

yeah basically this, she taught in a district with a higher POC population did her white champion thing there and now wants to run the state education backed by a ton of conservative/republican groups to basically take control of that 

[Lion Heart 15,041]

[GagaSine 7,464]

My mom has a similar story about how her brother was called the n word in Poland because he had dark hair and a very curly “Afro” as a teenager  I get the criticism but I still think it’s a valid thing to share because it sheds perspective about how racism/stereotypes harm others on top of the intended targets, just maybe not in a space specifically dedicated to black people sharing their stories. Obviously it is not the same harm that actual people of colour face but it still exists.

edit: nvm she was clearly doing this for personal gain which is sad