How Tone Policing Is Used to Silence Black Women

Tone policing can be used against anyone. It is frequently used against marginalized people, in part due to unconscious bias. Consider this example: Chris believes that Fran doesn’t have a right to tell Chris what to do because of Fran’s race or gender. For this reason, Chris may try to shift the conversation any time Fran is telling Chris what to do, such as by saying “You seem really angry” instead of talking about the specific issue.

According to writer Tess Martin, tone policing is a tactic of oppression that works to shut down discussions about difficult topics, such as racism. It is often used to silence Black women, and may include stereotypes of Black women as being angry or aggressive. These stereotypes are based in racism, and were used — along with other notions — to justify slavery.