Hi, Benji here, and in response to the backlash I recently received for calling name shortening to humanizing, I’m going to unpack why policing black voices enables anti blackness. Recently, I shared a post on here and other platforms like LinkedIn explaining why it’s never okay to shorten someone’s name an email without their consent, and how this seemingly small act is disrespectful and dehumanizing. And my use of the word dehumanizing resulted in several comments like this on LinkedIn, mostly from white people and other faceless profiles, claiming that my use of the term was incorrect and overreaction, and even offensive to victims of the world’s gravest atrocities. Now let me be clear I stand by what I said. Intentionally misusing someone’s name is dehumanizing because it’s a subtle yet pervasive way that disregard or someone’s for humanity can manifest. Dehumanization also exists on a spectrum, and the fact that it can manifest in more severe forms doesn’t negate the harm caused by smaller, everyday acts. Well, there’s a bigger issue at play here, and that’s how anti blackness is perpetuated by the policing of black voices. White people critiquing my accurate use of the word dehumanizing and arguing that I shouldn’t have used it are in effect telling me that my experiences and feelings aren’t valid until they’re deemed appropriate by white standards. This is a common way that anti blackness manifests, through the invalidation of our experiences and constant policing of how we talk about them and It’s often perpetuated by non black people of colour, too. This invalidation upholds systemic anti blackness, a system that thrives on the constant disrespect, erasure, and dismissal that black people face. Denying black people the right to describe their experiences accurately and honestly isn’t just a matter of differing opinions. It’s a racist anti black act. It’s a way of maintaining power by controlling the narrative and dictating how we should articulate our feelings. This is something that’s so important for all of us to be aware of. Call out and check ourselves on. Hope that helps. Bye.