In the last several years, I have become more attune to buzzwords. Academic freedom. Law and order. Collegiality. Civility. The last one, civility, is especially problematic. Often, when one calls for civility, they are using dog whistle politics to deny people of color and other historically marginalized groups the freedom to speak their experiences. They want people who experience oppression to be nice about their activism: how dare you make folks feel bad for what they did to you?!

Colonialism, imperialism, anti-Black racism, and other forms of oppression are often deemed civil. It’s all about the way you harm people apparently, with decorum and all that.

Just because you harm people with a smile and the use of “proper English” does not make it any more harmful. Just because you are dressed in a suit and have a fancy title does not mean you are automatically civil. Just because you call something civil does not make it so.

I’ve been called uncivil and disrespectful for speaking truth to power. And I’ll be uncivil until the day I die, if that’s the case. I’d rather have my integrity than be “civil.” And that’s on Ida B. Wells.