Max

hi everyone, i want to clarify some things about what i said regarding pokimane. when she was first caught saying the N-word on stream and in old clips, it seems people forgot that the specific videos shown were of her freely dropping it multiple times in the same clip, casually, like it was nothing. i didn't say much at the time because i was so uncomfortable, publicly humiliated as a black person, and i didn't think it needed explaining because it was so obviously wrong and harmful. i appreciate that she deleted the clips and issued some half-apology years later saying it was "just how people talked" or a replacement for "dude" and that she was young, but i've had to carry the weight of that racial trauma, the microaggressions, and the invalidation of black pain for over a decade. regardless, no amount of time, "growth," or distance undoes the harm that was done to the black community. i'm not trying to cancel anyone or be the arbiter of who can do what. i'm simply sharing my feelings about something that publicly happened, and the ways in which it's still affecting me and other black folks today 13 years later. as she's become more involved in events and with people close to me in the community, i've grown particularly uncomfortable. as far as i know, no one has really checked in with the black people affected about how it makes us feel when we see her thriving without real accountability or any meaningful repair. other people forgiving her is their choice, but it doesn't mean i can't share my perspective on it as well. one thing i've seen happen far too often is the rewriting of history, particularly as it pertains to issues like these and who gets to harm the black community without consequence, so i prefer to stand my ground so the narrative doesn't get twisted. (poki ✨💕 used to scream "NIGGER!" live on stream, often). hope this clarifies things!