Switchette

Non-black students should be very hesitant before speaking in politically black spaces. If you can Google it, take a class, or ask a friend then don’t speak. You will be doing everyone in the room a favor. You are contributing to the mobility of the discussion by not contributing. Only in non-black, non-political spaces and in the event that a black voice is being silenced, you may echo them. You have non-black privilege and may be taken more seriously. If you really want to help the cause just re-iterate what has already been said. Otherwise, do not steal their agency and ownership of a narrative by speaking on behalf of them. You cannot “engage in conversation” because black people and their experiences have nothing to do with you. By not speaking sometimes, you are able to contribute by simply listening.