An Ohio woman claims she went no-contact with her family over alleged racism in the Slavic community she grew up in. She states that her brothers were comfortable with racism “as long as it was kept in the family” and that she was considered dramatic for having an issue with it.
The woman begins the TikTok video sharing the racism she allegedly witnessed growing up “in a very controlled church environment.” She states that she wasn’t allowed to talk to anyone outside of the community. Furthermore, she shares that she “engaged with the first person of color” when she was fifteen. The Ohio woman recalls that it started when her brothers asked each other a controversial question that she took issue with. She states, “I made such a big deal about it that I was deemed the dramatic one, the aggressive one.”
She remembers her brothers telling her they would never say anything like that outside the family. The Ohio woman states, “We’ve normalized saying things to ‘safe people,’ aka family.” However, she recalls taking issue with this. She explains, “That is not okay. I do not want to be your safe space.” The rest of her argument focuses on how casually racism was thrown around. It would then be explained as “a cultural difference.”
It was an environment she chose to leave at 17, and one she says she only learned to move beyond after being called out by others. The video ends with her encouraging people to have conversations about racism, because otherwise “we’re not going to grow.” Her video has sparked a conversation with over 76,000 views and nearly 10,000 likes.
Ohio Woman Thanked For Speaking Out
Many viewers thanked the Ohio woman for speaking openly about her experiences and helping to spark an important conversation. While some were surprised by her account, with one person asking, “There are barely any black or African ppl in Russia, why tf do they hate us?” others were less shocked. “I don’t think this is shocking at all,” another commenter wrote. Meanwhile, many praised her for confronting the views she grew up with, with one person saying she would “be the 1 to break the generational curse.”
Elsewhere, most just wanted to tell her, “Thank you for speaking up about this.” One commenter appreciates how thoughtfully she brought up the topic: “The way you explained how blatant and covert it can be is so helpful for people who justify different levels of racism.” Another agrees, “I am so proud of you for ur courage to actually come on this platform and speak your truth.“
The Ohio woman admitted she was nervous about speaking out, but said she felt it was important to share her story. She encouraged others to have difficult conversations too, hoping that more people will challenge the attitudes they were raised with.
