@trannyman has been talking about racism colonialism in astronomy so when this video showed up in a forum i knew it would be important to watch. I am removed from astronomy, so while aware that science and academia isn't the "neutral logical" thing it pretends to be, i had only seen discussions of the specifics as it pertains to biology (so much) , this was a knowledge gap that shouldn't be left unaddressed.

from the video:
"The first thing colonization asks of its beneficiaries is to suppress their capacity for empathy" (Steven Salaita, on Palestinian genocide) -- a neat parallel to the idea of science as an objective and unbiased thing.

& (as per video), people are already working to change the world, and when first engaging in anti-imperialism your work lays in supporting the people who are already doing it. leverage your privilege to dismantle that very same privilege: e.g. use your inherent-raised-credibility from whiteness to center the voices of racialized people. listen and learn but don't take a step back, nobody is an objective observer & it is nauseating that simple observation-without-interference is presented as the goal.

and this video. watch it. read the resources provided. read the cited material. be devastated. both the extent of the facts laid out but also the immense bravery of someone talking about something so personal and so painful, editing footage of themselves tearful with the horror of it all, and uploading the video. a bearing of the soul; something not publicized lightly.

feel strongly and do not lay still.

Dr Fatima Abdurrahman, thank you

the video is tough. There are built-in opportunities to ground, ample forewarning about the things discussed. I am one of many who cried watching it. i cannot imagine how it feels for people for whom the terror and exploitation of colonial genocide is a fresh wound.

so, do watch, do not let bad feelings deter you, but if you are particularly vulnerable , mind the content warnings Dr Abdurrahman provides.