By Maileen Hamto, producer and editor, Colors of Influence
Sharing in the agony of hatred and violence exhibited in the #UnitetheRight rally that put White Nationalism on display. Eight months in this new American administration, and we have straight, cisgender white man marching with torches yelling “White Lives Matter!" and "Jews will not replace us!"
Advancing anti-racism and confronting white supremacy requires white allies to speak frankly – even if uncomfortably – with their family members, friends and co-workers about the issues of white resentment, white denial and white fragility. It also requires solidarity with and tangible support for people-of-color-led organizations that center the voices and experiences of people of color.
In most interactions and deliberations about difficult topics, the credibility and trustworthiness of the messenger matters as much –and sometimes even more – than the message itself. That is why it's important for all people – especially white people – to have the tools of productive discourse about race and anti-racism in order to be able to talk to other whites about how to dismantle systems that perpetuate white supremacy.
It's not that people of color are not trustworthy or credible; quite the opposite. Many of us have figurative as well as literal doctorate degrees on the topic of race relations in the United States, because we live this reality everyday. Many of us bear the mental and emotional scars from big battles and small skirmishes that result from simply living in our brown and black skins.
But the hard truth of the science of implicit biases and the nature of fear in our reptilian brains dictate that we trust people who are part of our tribe.
Moreover, it is often emotionally taxing and downright exhausting for people of color to continuously be on guard, to be incessantly vigilant about assaults to our humanity. I've heard many people of color in workplaces speak about the weight of being the tokenized person of color sought out by well-intentioned white allies to process racially charged events and developments.
People of color cannot simultaneously be the healer and the wounded. We cannot be the targets and victims of racial hatred and violence, AND also be expected to help with curing the ills of a racist society.
On the other hand, communities of color have important work to do to strengthen alliances within and among our diverse communities. It's important to be fully grounded in our own history as a people, whether we are Black, Latinx, Asian Pacific Islander, Native Hawaiian, American Indian or Alaska Native. Equally important is learning about the struggles of other marginalized groups in the context of racial stratification in United States history. There are strong parallels and shared narratives in the current and historical inequities among black, brown and indigenous communities.
We all must continue to work together and advocate for each other in order to achieve a more inclusive society that provides equitable access to opportunities for all.
It requires all of us to have the knowledge and courage to interrupt racial microaggressions and address bigotry, xenophobia, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, etc. when we encounter them.
In the darkness of yesterday's Charlottesville white supremacist rally, I had the affirming experience of sharing space with more than 100 people who attended the first “Courageous Conversations” workshop organized by Colorado Black Women for Political Action (CBWPA). The event brought together local leaders to discuss racism and its effects on health equity, economics, education, and criminal justice.
Speakers at the workshop included: Juston Cooper, Deputy Director of the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition (CCJRC); Halisi Vinson, CBWPA President and Executive Director of the Rocky Mountain Employee Ownership Center; Terri Hurst, Policy Coordinator of the CCJRC; Mark Washington, Education Advocate; Lisa Calderon, Co-Chair, Colorado Latino Forum.
I applaud the organizers for providing a forum where we can challenge each other to confront racism and white supremacy in systems that perpetuate the oppression of brown, black and indigenous communities. Learn more about supporting the CBWPA by checking out their membership structure. A "Supportive Membership" is available for people who are neither Black nor identify as women.
The CBWPA is bringing antiracism essayist, speaker and activist Tim Wise to Denver on Thursday, November 9 to speak about the “Race, Crime & the Politics of Fear.” I highly recommend signing up for the next Courageous Conversations workshop that addresses education equity, scheduled for Thursday, September 14.
I first heard anti-racism author and activist Tim Wise when he spoke at the Portland State University in 2013. Wise has been doing anti-racism work since his college activism days in the 1980s and has been a powerful and effective voice in talking to white people about addressing racism in systems and communities. With the fervent interest in diversity and inclusion among U.S. institutions, Wise has spoken to tens of thousands of corporate, government, law enforcement and medical industry professionals on operationalizing methods for dismantling racism in their institutions.
Meanwhile, watch a video of Tim Wise as he talks about the white nationalist movement in the age Trumpism (Courtesy of All Saints Church, Pasadena, filmed on Sunday, April 30, 2017)
Quotables:
"The history of America is the history of rich white men telling not-rich white people that their enemies are black and brown."
“The history of the country is the history of rich white men telling not-rich white people that their enemies are black and brown. That’s America in a nutshell when it comes to race and class.”
“If Trumpism were rooted mostly in economic anxiety, black and brown folks would have been lined up around the block to vote for him. Because when it comes to economic anxiety, people of color are the ones who always both quantitatively and qualitatively have a disproportionate share of it.”
“This has been going on for hundreds of years, going back to the colonial period. This has been about the symbolic connection of whiteness to a form of superiority, even when one's class position was wanting and lacking. In other words, it was the way to tell even the poorest white person that you're better than – even the best of – the person who isn't designated as white.”
Sharing in the agony of hatred and violence exhibited in the #UnitetheRight rally that put White Nationalism on display. Eight months in this new American administration, and we have straight, cisgender white man marching with torches yelling “White Lives Matter!" and "Jews will not replace us!"
 |
| Halisi Vinson, CBWPA President |
In most interactions and deliberations about difficult topics, the credibility and trustworthiness of the messenger matters as much –and sometimes even more – than the message itself. That is why it's important for all people – especially white people – to have the tools of productive discourse about race and anti-racism in order to be able to talk to other whites about how to dismantle systems that perpetuate white supremacy.
It's not that people of color are not trustworthy or credible; quite the opposite. Many of us have figurative as well as literal doctorate degrees on the topic of race relations in the United States, because we live this reality everyday. Many of us bear the mental and emotional scars from big battles and small skirmishes that result from simply living in our brown and black skins.
 |
| Lisa Calderon |
Moreover, it is often emotionally taxing and downright exhausting for people of color to continuously be on guard, to be incessantly vigilant about assaults to our humanity. I've heard many people of color in workplaces speak about the weight of being the tokenized person of color sought out by well-intentioned white allies to process racially charged events and developments.
People of color cannot simultaneously be the healer and the wounded. We cannot be the targets and victims of racial hatred and violence, AND also be expected to help with curing the ills of a racist society.
On the other hand, communities of color have important work to do to strengthen alliances within and among our diverse communities. It's important to be fully grounded in our own history as a people, whether we are Black, Latinx, Asian Pacific Islander, Native Hawaiian, American Indian or Alaska Native. Equally important is learning about the struggles of other marginalized groups in the context of racial stratification in United States history. There are strong parallels and shared narratives in the current and historical inequities among black, brown and indigenous communities.
We all must continue to work together and advocate for each other in order to achieve a more inclusive society that provides equitable access to opportunities for all.
It requires all of us to have the knowledge and courage to interrupt racial microaggressions and address bigotry, xenophobia, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, etc. when we encounter them.
Speakers at the workshop included: Juston Cooper, Deputy Director of the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition (CCJRC); Halisi Vinson, CBWPA President and Executive Director of the Rocky Mountain Employee Ownership Center; Terri Hurst, Policy Coordinator of the CCJRC; Mark Washington, Education Advocate; Lisa Calderon, Co-Chair, Colorado Latino Forum.
 |
| Juston Cooper, CCJRC |
The CBWPA is bringing antiracism essayist, speaker and activist Tim Wise to Denver on Thursday, November 9 to speak about the “Race, Crime & the Politics of Fear.” I highly recommend signing up for the next Courageous Conversations workshop that addresses education equity, scheduled for Thursday, September 14.
I first heard anti-racism author and activist Tim Wise when he spoke at the Portland State University in 2013. Wise has been doing anti-racism work since his college activism days in the 1980s and has been a powerful and effective voice in talking to white people about addressing racism in systems and communities. With the fervent interest in diversity and inclusion among U.S. institutions, Wise has spoken to tens of thousands of corporate, government, law enforcement and medical industry professionals on operationalizing methods for dismantling racism in their institutions.
Meanwhile, watch a video of Tim Wise as he talks about the white nationalist movement in the age Trumpism (Courtesy of All Saints Church, Pasadena, filmed on Sunday, April 30, 2017)
Quotables:
"The history of America is the history of rich white men telling not-rich white people that their enemies are black and brown."
“The history of the country is the history of rich white men telling not-rich white people that their enemies are black and brown. That’s America in a nutshell when it comes to race and class.”
“This has been going on for hundreds of years, going back to the colonial period. This has been about the symbolic connection of whiteness to a form of superiority, even when one's class position was wanting and lacking. In other words, it was the way to tell even the poorest white person that you're better than – even the best of – the person who isn't designated as white.”