[sudo-discuss] a very racist encounter from a man named Rob

Sat Jul 13 11:31:16 PDT 2019

Also, thanks to Robb for stepping up and apologizing. Everyone here
appreciates your work. Thanks to Scott for stepping up and bringing this to
the collective's attention.

I want to help coordinate and would participate in any collective workshop
we want to have on how we can turn fewer people away from the space.
Echoing jake, I would be happy to contribute to a discussion on coming up
with better options for helping people feel heard about their experiences
and how Omni and Sudoroom can clarify for everyone our positions on
treating everyone with respect.

On Fri, Jul 12, 2019 at 12:32 PM Jake <jake at spaz.org> wrote:

> Robb,
>
> I think you're doing a mostly good job acknowledging people's experiences
> with
> you and coming up with ways to avert problems in the future.  But I wish
> that
> you wouldn't push back this way when people bring up their experiences.  I
> know
> it must feel bad to be called out in a public forum this way, but one of
> the
> things you can do to help is to have a slightly thicker skin about it to
> help
> others feel more comfortable.  Remember that people without white privilege
> have to go through a lot worse every day.
>
> Complaining about prejudice against you isn't helping anything.  Nobody
> wants
> to be prejudged, but it happens to everyone.  Let's focus on learning from
> incidents where people felt uncomfortable, by welcoming criticism and
> accepting
> people's experiences even if we disagree with their perception of our
> intentions.
>
> Nobody is asking you to relinquish your membership, but it does make sense
> for
> you to change your behavior toward people you don't know to avoid these
> kinds
> of things happening in the future.  Let someone else confront strangers in
> the
> building if you think it needs to happen.
>
> In the meantime, we can all discuss options for helping people feel heard
> about
> their experiences and how Omni and Sudoroom can clarify for everyone our
> positions on treating everyone with respect.
>
> -jake
>
> On Fri, 12 Jul 2019, robb wrote:
>
> > i think it might be time for me to relinquish my sudoroom membership &
> > focus on Liberated Lens where the diverse membership does not prejudge me
> > in open court
> >
> > On Fri, Jul 12, 2019 at 11:48 AM robb <sf99er at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> @Autonomous
> >> i recall the incident & i apologize for my direct inquiry into you being
> >> in the building & how it made you feel
> >> prior to our interaction, Tony, a member of phat beets, came to me with
> a
> >> concern that there was a strange person walking around the building
> acting
> >> suspicious & he had never done this before so i thought it was serious
> >> i don't know what caused him to seek me out but i felt obligated to help
> >> it had been awhile since i had seen you & it took me a minute to
> recognize
> >> you
> >> when you said you were a sudo member, i accepted your answer & went
> about
> >> my business
> >>
> >> On Fri, Jul 12, 2019 at 11:28 AM Autonomous <autonomous666 at gmail.com>
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >>> I would like to share an encounter I had with Robb prior to this most
> >>> recent incident with Deon.
> >>>
> >>> I swiped my card at the front door and entered the building. As I was
> >>> looking around for Marc who I was meeting at Sudo Room, I was accosted
> by
> >>> Robb in a hallway who said in a loud voice "MAY I HELP YOU". I said
> that I
> >>> was a Sudo Room member and was looking for Marc, and that I was
> "surprised
> >>> that you don't recognize me, Robb". The entire time I was speaking,
> Robb
> >>> was glaring at me in a hostile manner. I have not been back to Sudo
> Room
> >>> since.
> >>>
> >>> I would like to point out that 90% of communication is non-verbal and
> >>> Robb's attitude towards people he doesn't recognize or like could be
> >>> interpreted as hateful or racist without the use of specific derogatory
> >>> words. Since Robb now says "he hasn't heard from anybody" on the
> encounter
> >>> with Deon I am wondering if the views, opinions and attitudes
> expressed by
> >>> Robb are also those of Sudo Room and the Omni,  and reflect the
> official
> >>> policy or position of Sudo Room or the Omni towards unwanted guests.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On Fri, Jun 28, 2019 at 4:31 PM D. Scott Nanos <scott.nanos at gmail.com>
> >>> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Greetings Sudo et al, I'm so sorry but I have to bring to your
> attention
> >>>> a recent, very unfortunate, inappropriate, and violent encounter a
> friend
> >>>> of mine, Deon Saunders, had with a guy named "Rob", who I don't think
> I
> >>>> know personally, although I'm sure he's well known around Omni in
> general.
> >>>> I don't believe he's a sudo member specifically, but I believe this
> >>>> incident sort of came into Sudo territory when Marc became involved;
> I also
> >>>> really respect and love what Sudo room provides to the community, and
> I
> >>>> know that Sudo is a powerful force within the Omni; as such, I'm
> writing to
> >>>> you all now because I believe this issue definitely needs to be dealt
> with,
> >>>> and not ignored or brushed aside.
> >>>>
> >>>> Basically, Deon is friends with Phat Beets and Food First, and has
> been
> >>>> frequenting the Omni in order to do work and access the community
> resources
> >>>> that are available. To my understanding, he often works in the Sudo
> room
> >>>> space. Although this should not need to be said, I can personally
> vouch for
> >>>> Deon as an upstanding and generous member of the Oakland community.
> >>>>
> >>>> Deon was having trouble accessing the space the other day and rung the
> >>>> Omni doorbell several times, at which point guy named Rob opened the
> door
> >>>> and started cursing at him and being very aggressive. After Deon was
> able
> >>>> to enter Omni, Rob then started following him around and harassing
> him,
> >>>> acting like a cop. Although this is egregious in and of itself, and a
> >>>> terrible counter-representation of the Omni's values, this all came
> to a
> >>>> head when Rob accused Deon of not being "an actual, normal, human
> being".
> >>>> Whether or not this was intentional, it evoked longstanding racist
> >>>> attitudes that black folks have been subjected to, suggesting that
> Deon was
> >>>> less-than, or sub-human. Deon was so offended that he promptly left
> the
> >>>> Omni and has not been back since.
> >>>>
> >>>> Besides this very loaded and hateful comment, this general kind of
> >>>> treatment and attitude, overall, is the EXACT opposite of the way
> black
> >>>> folks should be treated when interfacing with the Omni. Rob's actions
> are
> >>>> not okay, at all, and I strongly feel that a serious accountability
> process
> >>>> should be implemented for this incident. This is not a small matter.
> I've
> >>>> spoken with Deon, and he has agreed to participate.
> >>>>
> >>>> I've also heard that this type of incident has happened before at the
> >>>> Omni, specifically involving Rob. Correct me if I'm wrong, but
> apparently,
> >>>> the attitude that was expressed to Deon was that Rob is one of the
> main
> >>>> people that operates (i.e. helps to reproduce and sustain,) the Omni,
> and
> >>>> as such, people basically go along with what he says and does. If
> this is
> >>>> in fact the case, then an accountability process is even more
> imperative.
> >>>> In no way should labor, and by proxy, "power" derived from labor,
> enable a
> >>>> person to act with racism against members of the Oakland community. I
> think
> >>>> it's in the best interest of the Omni to address this issue
> immediately,
> >>>> for Deon, for the Omni, and for the Omni's relationship with the
> greater
> >>>> community of Oakland.
> >>>>
> >>>> I believe Marc was present for part of this incident as well, and
> >>>> although I know, Marc is so busy doing vital work for Sudo and Omni,
> it
> >>>> might behoove him to also participate in this process, as a witness.
> >>>>
> >>>> I am writing this email not because I am trying to "cancel" or ruin
> >>>> anyone, but because I care about Deon, The Omni, Sudo, and the Oakland
> >>>> community at large. This issue seems indicative of larger problems,
> and if
> >>>> addressed with love and respect and accountability, could seriously
> benefit
> >>>> all parties listed above, and improve the Omni and it's relationship
> with
> >>>> Oakland.
> >>>>
> >>>> I'm not sure where to take it from here, as I am personally extremely
> >>>> busy with other community-based activities in Oakland right now, but a
> >>>> mediator/facilitator should be sought out, ideally a black person,
> but at
> >>>> the very least, a non-black poc, and probably someone that isn't
> personally
> >>>> involved in the day-to-day operations at Omni, sudo etc. If i am
> able, I
> >>>> could possibly be this mediator, but I hope other options are sought
> out
> >>>> first, because a.) I'm a non-black, mixed race poc, and b.) I have
> very
> >>>> little capacity at the moment.
> >>>>
> >>>> But please keep me in the loop regarding an accountability process for
> >>>> Rob, and I'll do whatever I can to help move this along and reach a
> fair
> >>>> and just conclusion.
> >>>>
> >>>> Sorry to bring such difficult news to you all, but I could not stay
> >>>> silent.
> >>>>
> >>>> With love and Solidarity,
> >>>>
> >>>> Scott
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>> sudo-discuss mailing list
> >>>> sudo-discuss at lists.sudoroom.org
> >>>> https://sudoroom.org/lists/listinfo/sudo-discuss
> >>>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> sudo-discuss mailing list
> >>> sudo-discuss at lists.sudoroom.org
> >>> https://sudoroom.org/lists/listinfo/sudo-discuss
> >>>
> >>
> >
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>

-- 
Karissa McKelvey
https://okdistribute.xyz
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