How not to treat your allies

[Ms. Toad]

278. Denying he cares about the black community is ludicrous.

Yes, he has a long way to go - as do most white people.

But the way to leverage that inclination to be an ally is not to repeatedly clobber him over the head. That is a recipe for turning him against your cause (the point of the personal example I gave you). If he is "getting it," it is despite the abusive tactics - not because of them. Bully for him for being able to stifle his justified resentment at how he has been treated quickly enough to perhaps become an effective advocate. The tragedy is that it might well have happened earlier, and been an enthusiastic partnership, had MLM not distrupted Netroots - which resulted in canceling a pre-planned meeting between BLM and Sanders. Again - even if you are inclined to do the right thing, and have taken steps in that direction, it is human nature to push back when someone is in your face screaming at you.