I agree with you that our existence as people of color doesn't need to be validated by white people. I am not promoting or posing that Black people and people of color seek validation from white people or that white people bestow validation onto non-white people. What I mean is that there has been a historical denial of oppressed people's stories and experiences under white supremacy. Gaslighting and minimizing our experiences are consistent forms of oppressive white supremacist tactics, and that's what I'm trying to get at. My apologies on my language in the article not fully communicating that, and I appreciate you bringing up the points you brought up. They're important and would make for an impactful article.