Since it is the holidays my inbox had a few emails with titles like ‘Don’t Get Scammed This Holiday Season,’ ‘Beware, don’t give away your info,’ and other subject lines of the like. Fakequity watchers should have a similar scam list to watch out for.

Here are a few subject lines you should right away be suspicious of:

• “I’m not racist. I love everyone, especially during the holidays. I just gave a turkey to the homeless shelter” – SCAM alert high. If you have to declare this out loud maybe you should re-examine why you feel the need to say this you turkey.
• Diversity/Equity is costly – SCAM, it isn’t more costly, it is a realignment and a re-balancing of priorities and investing in what should have been invested in all along.
• POCs and Black and Brown people things are cheap – Pay your Black and Brown people what they deserve, and stop OVERPAYING white people. Tangent – I was listening to the radio about why WNBA players such as Britney Griner play abroad. I had the thought maybe we should stop paying men sports players so much and strive for more equality (equity too, but let’s try for equal first) in what we value. On a smaller scale, look at how much we pay POCs overall as compared to white people. Watch this hilarious TikTok of asking a nonprofit boss for a raise, it is cringy because it is so true – been there lived this. (h/t Angela)
• All Lives Matter – Just don’t, Black Lives Matter and you using All Lives Matters is centering yourself
• Reverse Racism is Real or claims reverse racism – Nah, it’s fake no such thing as reverse racism. Don’t understand? Here’s a hint it has to do with power and who holds power.
• “They should be grateful…” – If someone tells you this, roll your eyes and decide if it is worth the lecture on historical inequalities and how it isn’t cool to blame people who are trying to survive. Another hilarious TikTok about a POC asking a white boss for time off during the holidays – “They should be grateful to have a job where they can serve the community.” Eyeroll.
• “I don’t have biases…” – If someone told me this my response would be “My bias against people who say they don’t have biases just quadrupled. Everyone has biases.” Another eye roll and I would wander off to find the snack table.

Be on high alert for scams this holiday season. Don’t let the feel-good times or if you’re in the northern latitudes the lack of sunlight drag you down into a nap.

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Why I wrote this: For some holiday levity and to break down some common racial misnomers.

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I am writing from the lands of the 29 federally recognized and non-federally recognized tribes in now Washington State, including the Coast Salish people — Duwamish, Muckleshoot, Suquamish, Snoqualmie, Snohomish, and Native American organizations that have treaty rights and have been here since time immemorial. I give my thanks to the elders, Native and Indigenous colleagues and relations, and the land itself. Fakequity pays “rent” to Native organizations in Washington and Hawaii; a small act to repair and work to be in more justice-based relations.