Triggered by Cancel Culture, this radical Black feminist was Called Out for Calling Out the Call Out or Cancel Culture.
The Smith College professor (visiting) is using one of her popular courses to promote Call In Culture as a more effective way to pursue the (ostensible) objectives of Cancel Culture.
Who is Loretta J. Ross?
CLICK FOR FULL SIZE
This is an excerpt from a startling new report in the New York Times:
quote
Nyla Conaway, 19, remembers being “called out” for changing her profile picture on Instagram in solidarity for … something. She can’t quite remember what for, only that an older student she didn’t know told her it was a scam. “It just made me feel really embarrassed, like a ton of people had seen it and now I just looked really stupid,” she said.
Katie Wehrman, 18, still feels guilty for calling out a boy in her high school for something he said about a local politician and L.G.B.T.Q. rights — schooling him in an all-class Snapchat group.
Sophia Hanna, 18, has never been called out herself, but has spent more time than she’d like to admit during this pandemic watching two beauty bloggers call each other out.
“It just fires something emotionally,” she said, noting that she doesn’t even like makeup tutorials. “There’s like a dopamine trigger that makes me keep scrolling.”
The women are students in a class taught by Loretta J. Ross, a visiting professor at Smith College who is challenging them to identify the characteristics, and limits, of call-out culture: the act of publicly shaming another person for behavior deemed unacceptable. Calling out may be described as a sister to dragging, cousin to problematic, and one of the many things that can add up to cancellation.
“I am challenging the call-out culture,” Professor Ross said from her home in Atlanta, where she was lecturing on Zoom to students on a recent evening, in a blue muumuu from Ghana. “I think you can understand how calling out is toxic. It really does alienate people, and makes them fearful of speaking up.”
That perspective has made Professor Ross, 67, an unlikely figure in the culture wars. A radical Black feminist who has been doing human rights work for four decades, she was one of the signatories of a widely denounced letter in Harper’s Magazine, for which she herself was called out. “There’s such an irony for being called out for calling out the calling-out culture,” she said.
"What if Instead of Calling People Out, We Called Them In?"
quote
Prof. Loretta J. Ross is combating cancel culture with a popular class at Smith College.
When someone posts a link from NYT or WaPo, many of us cannot and/or will not read it. Can you briefly (I know that is asking a lot) summarize "call in"?
When someone posts a link from NYT or WaPo, many of us cannot and/or will not read it. Can you briefly (I know that is asking a lot) summarize "call in"?
Originally posted by williegoat: When someone posts a link from NYT or WaPo, many of us cannot and/or will not read it. Can you briefly (]I know that is asking a lot) summarize "call in"?
More from the New York Times report:
quote
The antidote to that outrage cycle [a reference to Call Out or Cancel Culture,] Professor Ross believes, is “calling in.” Calling in is like calling out, but done privately and with respect. “It’s a call out done with love,” she said. That may mean simply sending someone a private message, or even ringing them on the telephone (!) to discuss the matter, or simply taking a breath before commenting, screen-shotting or demanding one “do better” without explaining how.
Calling out assumes the worst. Calling in involves conversation, compassion and context. It doesn’t mean a person should ignore harm, slight or damage, but nor should she, he or they exaggerate it. “Every time somebody disagrees with me it’s not ‘verbal violence.’” Professor Ross said. “I’m not getting ‘re-raped.’ Overstatement of harm is not helpful when you’re trying to create a culture of compassion.”
I am not going to deny it. When I went online with this, I saw it only as some wry "word play" and some between-the-lines dissing of the social media culture, and not something that would generate any serious discussion.
But I am only too happy to oblige.
[This message has been edited by rinselberg (edited 11-19-2020).]
I am not going to deny it. When I went online with this, I saw it only as some wry "word play" and some between-the-lines dissing of the social media culture, and not something that would generate any serious discussion.
But I am only too happy to oblige.
Meh, what ever the SJW's label it, its still a good way to get told to eff off and MYOB.
