Race and Tension

We appear to be at such a tipping point in our country with regards to race. Police violence has gone on for a long time and people have had enough. We have heard Black Lives Matter for quite a while and finally people are starting to get it. It seems exhausting to fight to be heard. Finally people in the mainstream are having conversations about race, institutional racism and oppression.

It seems as if our country has been built on force and oppression. I’m asking myself hard questions that have bubbled up time and time again. How long can I sit silent and be glad others are speaking up-because I don’t want to make waves? When have I kept silent when others were making racist jokes? How many times have I engaged in some microagression-not realizing I may have been offending someone?

I know I’m not perfect, and that I have a lot to learn about race. The more I learn, the more I realize I don’t know. One multicultural seminar that really stood out to me was when someone talked about hitting the genetic jackpot. There were many ways to hit that jackpot. One was being White, one was being male, being straight, being Protestant/Christian, etc.  Any time you fall into one of these categories that is in the majority in our culture, you hit the jackpot. You get to take advantage of all that comes with being in the mainstream. Things many of us of take for granted. We don’t have to worry about our safety walking down the street based on how we look.

White Privilege

Let’s talk about White privilege. I am a White person and because of no virtue of my own, I get to take advantage of all that comes in our society because of it. If you don’t know what I am talking about I’d recommend a book White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh. The notion is that being White allows us to ease through society, and not worry about the things people of color do.

There are privileges that come to us due to our color, that we can’t even imagine because it is the status quo. The reason being is these are given to you and you take them for granted. There are no roadblocks put in front of you. The biggest example staring us in the face is the police. Most White people feel safe knowing the police are there. People of color don’t feel protected by the police. This doesn’t work for our society.

Are You a Racist?

Most people if you ask them if they are racist, they will say no. Nobody wants to admit that. It sounds like a horrible label. Guess what? We are all racist. It is so ingrained in our society we don’t even realize it. There have been studies done with White and Black baby dolls and children.  Two psychologists, Mimi and Kenneth Clark, did the original study in the 1940’s. They put a White baby doll and a Black baby doll on a table. When asked which doll they would prefer to play with, most Black and White children (ages 3-7) chose the White doll. They also attribute more positive qualities to the White doll. At an early age children are aware of race and the stereotypes they see/learn. Kiri Davis repeated the study again in 2006 and the results were similar.

If you don’t think you are a racist, I would suggest you take the Harvard Implicit Association Test for racial bias. Even if you try not to be racist, you will see that you are. It is very eye opening.

History of Violence

Sunday’s Houston Chronicle (6/7/20) had an excellent article in the Outlook Section on our history of violence in the U.S. There was a quote from John F. Kennedy. “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.” Violence has led to the end of slavery and the civil rights movement in the 1960’s. What is occurring now, the tipping point being the death of George Floyd, has led a lot more people to action. Many deaths have occurred before Floyd, frustration and anger have been building. But we can’t ignore it when a man is murdered right before our eyes. We can’t put our head back in the sand. Finally people are irate enough and know the status quo no longer works.

What can we do about it?

The biggest question is what can I/we do about it? The quote silence is violence really stood out to me. I don’t have any quick answers, but I realize it is my job to do things some small things to help dismantle the system racism of in our society. If each of us does some small act, it can result in big results. It is so much easier to sit on the sidelines and hope others will do something. It takes effort and action. For now I can pledge to seek to understand and find ways that I can do my part.

It is imperative that we continue to talk about race and racism with friends, family, book clubs and places of worship. Join an activist group, call your congressman, or donate money. There are many things you can do to help.

Here are some books and resources that can help people get a better understanding of race and White privilege.

Lets Talk About Race by Lester

How to be Antiracist by Kendi

White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo

White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by McIntosh

I heard someone say that social justice is a marathon, not a sprint. It is important that we keep talking about racism and oppression. It isn’t right for someone to reap the benefits at the expense of another.

If each of us does a small part we can make huge change. If you are struggling with all that is going on in our country, having someone to talk to in a nonjudgmental setting can be helpful. Give me a call at 713-304-6554.

Take care,

Debbie Grammas