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

Sun Jul 14 14:23:13 PDT 2019

just came across this book and thought that it would be relevant to folks
here: https://www.akpress.org/fumbling-towards-repair.html

On Sat, Jul 13, 2019 at 8:31 AM Karissa McKelvey <karissa.mckelvey at gmail.com>
wrote:

> 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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>> https://sudoroom.org/lists/listinfo/sudo-discuss
>>
>
>
> --
> Karissa McKelvey
> https://okdistribute.xyz
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