An Anti-Racism Journey

I'm sharing reflections from my journey towards anti-racism . I've spent most of my life ignorant of how much white supremacy has benefited me and oppressed others. I thought of myself as not being racist. Since the murder of George Floyd on May 25 2020, and the Black Lives Matter movement, I've learnt more about how individual, systemic and institutional racism manifests than in most of my life.

News from Florida

In Jacksonville, Florida, on August 26, 2023, the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington for civil rights, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his 'I have a Dream' speech, Anolt Laguerre Jr, 19, Jerrald De'Shaun Gallion, 29 and 52-year-old Angela Carr were fatally shot at a Dollar General store—by a gunman who hated and singled out black people.

If you watched the news, you will have also seen the Gov. Ron DeSantis being booed . Some context: On April 21, 2023, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a slate of bills, including a ban on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives in Florida state universities. His words, "This bill says the whole experiment with DEI is coming to an end in the state of Florida. We are eliminating the DEI programs."

Yes - you read that correctly... eliminating DEI programs.

DEI is designed to make people of all backgrounds feel welcome and supported. The New York Times reported that what students can learn instead of all this woke stuff is that enslaved Americans developed skills that “could be applied for their personal benefit.”

Yes - you read that correctly...

Racism in the United Kingdom

I'm British, and a child of Irish immigrants. After I spent many years overseas, and now I'm back in the UK. I hear people say, oh, it's much better in the UK (concerning levels of racism) compared to the United States. Well, let me smash that myth for you.

1. The UK's highest reported Hate Crime is racially motivated. 109,843 racially aggravated offences were recorded in 2021/2022.
2. "From the perspective of people of African descent, racism in the UK is structural, institutional and systemic". UN’s Human Rights Council Statement Jan 2023
3. Maternal mortality for Black women is nearly four times higher than for White women, according to the House of Commons Committee Report 2022 .
4. The UK Gov 2022 report found 27.2 stop and searches for every 1,000 black people, compared with 5.6 for every 1,000 white people.
5. Black girls were three times more likely to have invasive strip searches by Metropolitan police, and almost half of girls subjected to strip searches between 2017 and 2022 were Black.
6. Teach First reports that in 2020, the UK's largest exam board had no books by a Black author for the GCSE English literature syllabus.
7. SMF 2021 reported , "Black graduates earn less than white, Asian and mixed-race graduates six months after graduating."
8. FTSE 100 Leaders have a long way to go regarding representation.
9. And it goes on and on...check out Black Equity Organisation .

Six Lessons from My Anti-Racism Journey

There are many more - but these keep me grounded.

1. Get informed. Read, listen, reflect and get out of my bubble. I thought I was informed until I dug into the harsh reality of racism - how white supremacy unleashes violence and oppression against black, brown and indigenous people AND comes in disguised forms such as apathy and ignorance.
2. Embrace my imperfection. I have biases. I am still discovering them. For example, I used to think that women were equally oppressed. Yep - my white feminism in action.
3. Stop being nice. In those moments when a relative, friend or random stranger makes racist comments. Don't stay silent. Get uncomfortable. By remaining silent, I am upholding the system of oppression.
4. Be an active anti-racist (but not a white saviour). It's not enough to be 'not racist.' Be reflective. Explore and join forces with others on this journey.
5. Don't center myself. This is not about how I feel. This is a work in progress, and I will mess things up. I may get called out for messing up - so what? Get over it.
6. Acknowledge the push and pull between fear, learning and growth. I find this graphic, created by Surgery Redesign is a useful reminder that my journey is messy.

Resources

I gathered a list of books, newsletters, movies, organisations, a glossary, and incredible people to be inspired by. If you are unsure where to start, pick a book. If you've read one book, then read more.

Top Voices on LinkedIn

Check out SARN Top Voice recommendations from 2022 and 2023 . Follow these amazing people and hear fresh perspectives.

This says it all...

"The problem is that white people see racism as conscious hate, when racism is bigger than that. Racism is a complex system of social and political levers and pulleys set up generations ago to continue working on the behalf of whites at other people’s expense, whether whites know/like it or not. Racism is an insidious cultural disease. It is so insidious that it doesn’t care if you are a white person who likes black people; it’s still going to find a way to infect how you deal with people who don’t look like you. Yes, racism looks like hate, but hate is just one manifestation. Privilege is another. Access is another. Ignorance is another. Apathy is another. And so on. So while I agree with people who say no one is born racist, it remains a powerful system that we’re immediately born into. It’s like being born into air: you take it in as soon as you breathe. It’s not a cold that you can get over. There is no anti-racist certification class. It’s a set of socioeconomic traps and cultural values that are fired up every time we interact with the world. It is a thing you have to keep scooping out of the boat of your life to keep from drowning in it. I know it’s hard work, but it’s the price you pay for owning everything.” Scott Wood - quote found in Hurley Hall, Sharon. I'm Tired of Racism: True Stories of Existing While Black

Let's connect and be the change together.

In love and wokeness - Nancy x

#dothework #imperfection #anti-racism #racialjustice #blacklivesmatter