To think Black Out nights in theatre ARE important

Right. Next step...

If [insert colour of your choice] employers and/or employees feel it's important to have [insert colour of your choice]-only workplaces then I don't feel it's my place to argue.

Etc.

You have not. I just don’t see what some people don’t understand. It’s almost wilful.

There are so many ‘privileges’ eg health privilege, male privilege, wealth privilege, and other like sexuality, age etc. We are discussing one privilege here which is about race. Yet others are desperate to bring all the other ones into it rather than discuss white privilege. Of course you can have white people who are poorer than black people. That doesn’t mean white privilege isn’t still a thing.

This post would clearly suggest that you don't really understand the term.

If you did, you would not feel the need to make the point that "not all white people are as privileged as others" because you would recognise that this is beside the point.

I really haven’t. White privilege is and always has been the privilege of being or even just looking white.

Whilst I somewhat agree, you have now changed the parameters of the term.

Some white people are more privileged than others in many ways, but all people who look white share a white privilege.

StormingNorman

I understand the term as you and others put it forward.
I have no need to educate myself on it saying that I don't just means that you have no real response to my post. and undermines your own response.

But my point remains valid. Not all white people are as privileged as others. To use the term in that way is divisive.

I think the poster was suggesting the audience would be like-minded because they felt a need to attend a black out performance. Because they feel the effects of racism and need an outlet to express themselves freely amongst people who understand.

I didn’t interpret the post as suggesting all black people are of one mind.

That poster has form. ‘Interesting’ contributions on a previous golly thread. And a teacher too😐

For many people slavery still has repercussions today as well. It still drives a lot of current resentment. Not everyone has moved on.

I think that gives them carte blanche to be even more racist. They feel emboldened.

Then of course there's also the inconvenient truth about who's ancestors actually sold slaves to the white people in the first place. It wasn't all enforcement, pillage and abduction. Nobody wants to talk about that though because racism bigotry etc....

Nit picking even. Or is it knit picking?!

Jesus your reaching ... I've not made an assumption

Let's say it's a performance where the audience are predominantly black. Because the writers have suggested as the theme is one which they feel closer to than say, me, as a white person. Therefore they will in this instance be like minded. And probably not white.

But I applaud your knit picking.

Care to add what your answer to my question is - what are white people missing out on or how are the being disadvantaged by choosing another evening? Who knows, maybe a matinee performance on the same day.

Of course they can still disregard this tiny request and go anyway.

What an unintelligent comment. Cringeing for you.

Yes. I often think perhaps something like ‘white advantage’ would be better. Despite all the education about the real meaning of white privilege, some people still think it’s about white people living in posh houses with kids at private school. This then leads them to froth with outrage.

Not convinced

It's a fair assumption that like minded people will be attending this for the same reasons. They didn't say all people with the same skin colour think the same way at all.

So there was no 'own goal'.

You're assuming that people are 'like-minded' because they have the same colour skin. Massive own goal.

Maybe one of the many Angry Posters will make a point of attending one of these performances actually. It would be interesting to hear what their experience was like and how much value their presence added for the other audience members.

If you are white you are able to go to any night you like. You are not being excluded or segregated.

It's been suggested that a few evenings (3 out of 80?) be kept if possible to allow a black only audience to experience the event together (and, to address a poster a few days back who compared this to "Jew only showings of Schindlers List , a play is a vastly different experience to a film. The dynamics between performer and audience for a start) as it's subject matter which still has repercussions today. This could make for some emotive moments and times when reflection can be deeper if you are with like minded people.

This is such a small ask. Why are so many posters angry about it? How does it disadvantage with a white people to choose another night to go?

Yep, and it's worked a treat.

@LessonsinChemistryandLove ,

You ask me whether I would want to attend a ‘Jewish led’ event, and I would, but I would have no desire to attend an event marketed as ‘for Jews or people who identify as Jewish’.

I am not a hypocrite, I don’t like artificial segregation.

As for wealthy black people experiencing discrimination, I am sure it does happen occasionally but I suspect it is rare and they have good lawyers more than able to deal with it,.

I have not known many wealthy black people well, but I have taught a couple of the daughters of ultra high net worth black people. Let me assure you they did not seem put upon as they reduced some of the younger teachers to tears with their demands to get their daughter a 9 (I am thinking of one family in particular here). Their wealth privilege was definitely on display as they cowed the (relatively) poor mostly white teachers.

As I said, I know white privilege is real, but wealth privilege trumps it every time.

You make some good points - but no one is saying people can’t express their feelings of oppression, so I’m not sure where that comes from. Also, ‘feeling oppressed‘ and genuine oppression might not be the same thing.

For example, the term ‘safe space’ is used constantly now to justify any and all ‘feelings’. That now means that the actual safe spaces that are so desperately needed are lost in the noise of it all.

Why do we genuinely need to make a black out night? Why would a black skinned person genuinely not be able to watch a show if there are white people in the audience? How does it actually help them to remove white people? Doesn’t it just add to the perceived tensions - rather than trying to come together and integrate better? I mean, how many racist Whits people are going to go and watch this show in the first place?!

The abuses that took place during the time of black slavery are obviously, utterly abhorrent, like all historical atrocities.

There are multiple whataboutary examples one could ask / suggest, if that’s besides the point.

But separating an audience into different colours this way isn’t going to change anything and certainly isn’t progressive (it’s a bloody clever marketing ploy though, pulling the social justice card and providing a shed load of publicity to the show though), it’s regressive and IMHO it’s encouraging further separation and victimhood.

I agree with this to some extent however, shouldn’t those you do feel oppressed by there blackness have that recognised and understood. I don’t see how we can truly move past discrimination and oppression if we are not allowed to say what the experience of that is?

Being forced to consider the colour of your skin I suspect, is not something that anyone would want to deal with but rather, for some a reality of life. I may not want to have to consider how racist a country is before booking a holiday and some may not consider this at all. Regardless of what reality you choose to exist in, the fact of the matter will confront you when you get there.

I personally may not have experienced a lot of racism and oppression, that doesn’t change the fact that many others have. To say otherwise is just to ‘victim blame’ and further oppress surely?

So to the point of the thread, some black people would feel comforted by being in a black only space when considering issues of black trauma, others may not. Who gets to decide, in this world, who is right? Not needing this space personally, doesn’t affect anyone else. These type of events have happened before in other contexts and no one was harmed by this. It’s not about a perpetual ‘victim hood’ but rather, recognition that some people do consider themselves to be victims. As has been said, not every black experience is the same.