I have been watching Angela Davis in The Black Power Mixtape 1967-75 documentary on repeat the past few days. Tears block my sight as I understand; I, too, am white like those who have been oppressing human beings for centuries.
I have been trying to decode the ‘white privilege’ meaning and actually see how I have benefited from it so far. According to Critical Race Theory - here you can find a wonderful intoduction on the field by Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic - there have been social, economic and legal differences that white people create between ‘races’ to maintain elite white interests in labour markets and politics. Even small acts of racism, consciously or unconsciously performed, are rooted to assumptions about racial matters we have absorbed from cultural heritage we have been growing up in. These systemic beliefs have been informing both civic institutions and our personal lives. Do you recognize their results?
Of course you do. You have heard your uncle making racist declarations during the family gathering. You have watched this black girl at school being made fun of. You have been promoted at work much earlier than your black colleague, even though he has been working harder. You have heard these seemingly kind ladies at church discourage their grandson from playing with the black kid. You have seen poor black people selling staff on the streets hiding from police officers. You have come across black women prostituting at the historical centre of Athens, women victims of trafficking at most.
the pic is of @nikishariley while marching, wearing a shirt from @blackfemalefuture
Being a woman myself, I can’t even begin to imagine what it must feel to be a black woman. To have to deal with racial and gender oppression and still be able to evolve beyond such stereotyping. Black feminism’s approach has given me some awareness on theoritical level about understanding oppression as a whole, concerning class, race and gender as a whole. But still there is no lived experience on the matter. Of course my gender’s oppression can give me some analogy. Urging a white person to aknowledge her inherent racism is like urging a man acknowledge his maleness and the pain that is associated with the impact of it on women and non - gender people…
I am white. So I have been a racist I guess. Because I have watched all of the above happen and didn’t actually act against it. I have condemned it. In words. But words - even written ones - are not enough. For the first time ever we have no realistic vision of the future. All we have is a chance to make foundational changes. Educate ourselves, protest, defend our core beliefs, vote for the leaders who are empathic and work towards solidarity. What Barbara Ellen Smith has described as ‘a politics of solidarity which recognizes the multiplicity of oppressions and supports struggles not directly indicated by one’s own lived experience’ could enable allyship in true terms.
So what will it take for us ,white people, to become actual allies that perpetuate foundational change and escape the trap of slactivism? I realize the conversation I am about to begin is difficult and uncomfortable. George Floyd’s death has been the top of the iceberg. There are dozens of people across the planet who have and are and will be sufferring due to the colour of their skin. Yes. They WILL be suffering. So, how much are we - white people - determined to suffer WITH them? Because that’s what it will take…
There are plenty of lists around the web right now for those who wish to educate themselves, donate their money, protest or volunteer to the Black Lives Matter movement every way they can. I have gathered here a small bunch of those I have been trying to check out myself, in case you find it useful. By no means do I imply they are the only way to enlightment and action. It is the time for all of us to decide for ourselves how to act. And the time to actually listen. Listen to those who know better. Pay some respect and stop sharing our opinionated egos to gain some online recognition…So here at fasfem we decided to keep up the work in our community silently yet effectively and support black female voices even more through our content. Help us be the change we wish to happen….
