Comments on: not a sorry girl

By: » Race, Apology, and Ani DiFranco John E. Drabinski

» Race, Apology, and Ani DiFranco John E. Drabinski — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 18:09:36 +0000

[…] SorryWatch (which is one of the best named websites out there) has an excellent (and very funny) translation manual for DiFranco’s remarks. For me the most telling remark from DiFranco is “i know that the […]

By: BobDobbs

BobDobbs — Thu, 02 Jan 2014 19:47:58 +0000

In reply to SONOFAMILLIONAIRE. nice retort. You're a sharp one!

By: tanita

tanita — Wed, 01 Jan 2014 20:50:22 +0000

I thought, “maybe she lives in the South, so her venue space is somewhat limited,” but the thing is, plantations: they exist. Still. Maybe that they’re used as rental venues is not so much the point as them still existing as a point of … pride.

…and, yes, her “apologia” – I love that concept – made a dumb-maybe-mostly-ignorant-harmless thing utterly reek of privilege, defensiveness, and wounded pride. Which is too bad.

By: SONOFAMILLIONAIRE

SONOFAMILLIONAIRE — Wed, 01 Jan 2014 10:56:56 +0000

In reply to Alan Chamberlain. "I don't think", great start of a selfdescript sentence. Nothing to think about that at all.

By: Sue

Sue — Wed, 01 Jan 2014 04:56:35 +0000

It is normal to have an issue w/the venue, at least, if you’re black. (Most black people would have an issue with it. I’m black and I just know. –my friends/fam would be like WTF re the venue. It’s like where Ted Nugent would do a concert, just to be annoying.) If she’s irritated that people have an issue with the venue…well. That’s just irritating to me. So we’re all even. She wants to show she’s a progressive and “we’re all guilty of racism/colonialization even you” and all that is true but this is a SPECIFIC issue, it involves her being gracious or ingracious, and her attitude is butt.

“i know that the pain of slavery is real and runs very deep and wide. however, in this incident i think is very unfortunate what many have chosen to do with that pain.”– This reminds me of when ppl were irked A.Jolie wore brown face paint and a wig and played Marianne Pearl, and Jolie was like, I can see the concerns but in this instance I feel they are misguided.
Like, it’s all good to have concerns but not when you are questioning MOI.
and this:
“i imagined a dialogue would emerge organically over the four days about the issue of where we were. i have heard the feedback that it is not my place to go to former plantations and initiate such a dialogue.”– Nope. It’s not. And your pouting is gross.

By: ditto

ditto — Tue, 31 Dec 2013 23:22:23 +0000

In reply to oddchild1.

Agreed – get a life and go after some of the people who aren’t trying their damndest to be your ally. Have fun on your self-righteous soapbox. This is a thoughtful and considerate apology – clearly more so than you deserve.

By: leftchild1

leftchild1 — Tue, 31 Dec 2013 19:07:17 +0000

Oddchild1 has scored a complete own goal. Yes, the left critiques its own as well – this is a strength. It shows the left doesn’t sit around criticising others while turning a blind eye to ‘its own’ (like the Right does), but in fact all of us should be analysed, critiqued, and strive for better. Just because there are conservatives who are worst than Ani (why stop at Robertson, just go straight to referencing Hitler’s evil if you like!) doesn’t give Ani, or anyone of us, complete immunity from any analysis or criticism for eternity.

By: denise

denise — Tue, 31 Dec 2013 17:39:53 +0000

Here’s the thing: Ani’s “statement” wasn’t intended to be an apology.
She’s not used to being called out. The description of the event describes the plantation as a “resort” and she goes on to say “and otherwise get suntans” which speaks to
the fact that women of color were not a consideration.

Her statement was full of blame and actually, horse shit.

The children from the Roots Movement will now suffer because some mean
people railed against having an event at a plantation.
Okay.

She takes no responsibility. No matter her intent, either she’s un-involved in her own
career or she’s not very bright. Why do I say this? Because it was an idiotic venue choice and she had the opportunity to think about it and her decision was to move forward.
She needs to apologize to HERSELF for being that misguided and she would be
better served by taking some time to reflect before she blames the people who took issue with the event’s location.

Liberal white folks can very often be the cause of great misery. They don’t know
when they’re being insensitive. They are truly ignorant- eventually, it will click.
At least that’s my hope; I’ll not give up.

I have compassion for her; just wish she’d given women of color the same courtesy.

By: mm

mm — Tue, 31 Dec 2013 05:51:02 +0000

freaking funny and educational. racism wont get better as long as the privileged cant tolerate having their privilege disclosed. mock privilege. it’s a fun (only?) way to undo it.

By: ECP

ECP — Tue, 31 Dec 2013 02:32:26 +0000

I don’t agree at all with the angle that the author here has taken. I actually find it kind of baffling because I didn’t read what DiFranco said this way at all, and I even came into this already disliking DiFranco and expecting to hate her response. But it seems pretty reasonable to me.