I have been trying to get in the habit of reading at least 2 articles per day as personal “professional development.” I work on the diversity recruitment & enrollment team of our undergraduate admissions department, and I’m passionate about racial and social justice. These are the topics of many of the articles I save and add to my “Articles to Read” Google Doc, which I have starred. I also save and add articles about workplace habits, higher education, and more. I find most of these articles on social media through Facebook or Twitter, or through my daily update email from the New York Times.
The next step, which I’ve been meaning to start for awhile, is blogging about good resources I come across as well as my thoughts on different articles and topics. So although this is very basic, I’m starting by sharing my thoughts on one of the articles I read today: 7 Things Black People Want Their Well-Meaning White Friends to Know, on Upworthy, by Erin Canty. This article references the short film “Your Black Friend” by Ben Passmore, which I have seen and enjoyed. Here are some takeaways…
#1 on Canty’s list is “You’re going to have to get uncomfortable,” which refers to having to speak up when you witness racism in everyday life. This is undoubtedly true, but I also think you have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable even when it’s something about YOU that needs to change, not just about when others need to change. In my opinion, it’s actually a lot harder and more uncomfortable to realize something YOU are doing is wrong or needs changing than it is to call someone else out. As a white person doing anti-racism work, you will undoubtedly make mistakes and also uncover some of your own behaviors or attitudes that are a little ugly. Being able to accept that and do your best to change is the key to being a good ally and frankly, a good person.
#3 is “We are constantly monitoring our surroundings and adjusting our clothes, hair, speed, and speech to maintain white comfort.” This is also called code-switching. Learn about it – it’s fascinating, and also reveals how much extra unseen work POC are doing constantly just in order to survive in a world of white supremacy.
#5 is “…performative blackness is really uncomfortable.” The author mentions “using your ‘blaccent’ when you’re around me and other people.” I think I may have read this article earlier this year, because I remember reading that and getting a sinking feeling – realizing I had done that recently to a black coworker. I said something like “das on you” or “thass on you” in a kind of accent. (Actually this is a quote from an SNL skit about alarm clocks that I really liked at one time and I have been saying it since then, but who would possibly know that?) It came off like I was using a “black” voice to say something to him, a black man. It was a total micro-aggression. Ugh. One thing I have learned lately is that, at least for me, part of becoming comfortable with myself and my role in racial justice work is “leaning in” to my whiteness. I am white, and that’s okay. I talk white, I dress white, I am white. That’s who I am. I don’t have to try to be less white in order to be anti-racist.
#7 mentions this: “We can’t be expected to dismantle white supremacy on our own.” For me, it is a moral duty. I love the quote by Dr. King, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” I am helping to bend the arc through my actions and my words. Once my eyes were opened to the reality of the society we are living in, it would have been morally wrong for me to close them or to look away, even though I have the ability to do so because of my privilege. If you feel the same, I guarantee you that you will find life sweeter and your sense of self stronger if you take action. Matthew 25:40 – “Whatsoever you do to the least of my people, that you do unto me.”
Comment your thoughts on the article, the video, or my blog post if you’d like!
Julia Jules 