As my time
came to write this post I could not think of anything else to talk about other
than race relations and the current upheaval that our country is dealing with. The
recent events of the past few months have been difficult to process and I have found
myself experiencing a slew of emotions. Yet, as a White individual I have the privilege
to choose when and when not to talk/think about this, it is NOT my lived
reality. Even in writing the opening sentence, yes these events have created a
public “current upheaval” but this has always
been a problem, systemic and institutional racism has and is currently a strong
force in this country. It is unfortunate that it had to take publically
documented footage and social media push to get America to open its eyes and question
… wait maybe racism is a problem.
Although
many Americans have taken this opportunity to discuss race relations, I have
been having a hard time controlling my anger with people (especially White individuals)
who continue to perpetuate and reinforce these systems of oppression. In trying
to sift through this anger I realized that I need to do something about it,
that as a feminist/womanist activist I need to take a stand. Thus, I am writing
this blog post to my fellow White people about how to talk about race relations
and most importantly how to stand in solidarity with people of color.
The first and most important step
is to be aware of your defensiveness. When talking about racism it is almost a guarantee
that as a White person you will feel a mixture of uncomfortable emotions (i.e.,
anxiety, anger, guilt, sadness) that lead you to put up defenses. I get it you
do not want to come off as being racist, trust me I have been there, but you
need to push past this. As a White person you have been socialized to hold
prejudices and biases that in turn provide you with privilege. An example of
one of these biases is: automatic associations of Black men being violent and
someone we need to be afraid of. Although I would like it to be so, these
biases and prejudices cannot be erased or deleted. Yet, one thing that you can
do is to become aware of these biases and take action to challenge them on a
daily basis. If you are unsure how to go about this I encourage you to read the
article White Privilege: Unpacking the
Invisible Backpack, by Peggy McIntosh. Being defensive in hopes of coming
off as “not racist” is one of the worst things you can do. Therefore, I
strongly encourage you to work on becoming aware of and challenging your defenses
Another important thing is to
recognize that these recent events are not a “new thing.” Racism has not come
back; it has always been here and is something people of color live with and
experience on a daily basis. Racism does not just take form in overt and
violent acts; it often takes place in implicit forms that are invisible to most
White people. For example, asking an Asian American, “where are you from?” They
say, “I am from New Jersey.” And you say, “no where are you really from or
where are your parents from?” Although this White person most likely has the
best of intentions they have offended this individual by communicating, you do
not belong in America so therefore you cannot be American. If you would like to
learn more about these forms of oppression I suggest reading the book, Microaggressions
in everyday life: Race, gender, and sexual orientation, by Derald Sue.
Lastly, it is
important to know your place when discussing race relations and providing
support for your friends of color. Remember that you still benefit from racism,
so do not make this about you. For example, if you are involved in the protests
or any type of activism don’t stand in the front line or don’t brag about how cool
it is to be part of this moment in history. Instead partake in these events along
side people of color. Show your support just by being there and asking how
and in what way you can help. If you want more information on how to be
involved as a White person I suggest reading the following blog post http://www.damemagazine.com/2014/08/14/ten-things-white-people-can-do-about-ferguson-besides-tweet.
I will end with a quote from an inspiring feminist in which I think nicely
complements the topic of this post.
“Guilt is not a response to anger; it is a
response to one’s own actions or lack of action. If it leads to change then it
can be useful, since it is then no longer guilt but the beginning of knowledge.
Yet, all too often, guilt is just another name for impotence, for defensive
destructive of communication; it becomes a device to protect ignorance and the
continuation of things the way they are, the ultimate protection of changelessness.” ~Audre Lorde
Nice!
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