I’ve been sitting here at Facing Race for over an hour in a plenary session that is ill-conceived. It’s supposed to be about this post-racial, colorblind argument, and how to respond.I was really excited, because I feel like Rinku and the ARC family were the first ones to predict that post-racialism was coming and we’d have to be able to respond with a racial justice analysis that didn’t isolate folks new to seeing the world with that lense.

There’s a lot of brilliant people on the panel, but the format is really slowing folks down. It’s supposed to be a mock debate with commentators. The “post-race” side is repping much better than the racial justice side in the debates, though I wish there were real people of color with a post-race analysis and it was a real debate. But either way, the moderator keeps talking, and then telling us in the audience Very Basic racism talking points. (note: I get really triggered when white men tell me Very Basic info about racism, can’t help it.)

A lot of time was wasted, and I didn’t get to hear Kalpana, Malkia or Andrew nearly enough.

Malkia Cyril smashed near the end tho, saying that in many ways a post-racial analysis is how the first black president was elected without talking about race, except to celebrate the post-race moment once he’s done.

Sigh. I am all for creative formats and interactivity, but we need some TOOLS right now and this was the anti-toolbox.

Love Facing Race, but ugh!