{Reflections of Racism} We are snowblind

Snowblind.

Adjective meaning “temporarily unable to see or having impaired vision because of the intense reflection of sunlight from ice and snow.”

→ Symptoms include: a burning or gritty sensation in the eye, sensitivity to light, blurry vision, and seeing halos around light sources.

For any of us who have been in snow country, we’ve probably experienced this and have learned to reach for protective eyewear like sunglasses when driving, skiing, outdoors-ing.

We understand that staring into the whiteness is unhealthy and have adjusted our world to be safer for ourselves and others.

But when I was a kid, I didn’t know better.

I remember my winters in the suburbs outside Chicago. I thought it was a game: staring into the snow for as long as I possibly could before I had to blink or look away. I thought it was funny the way it would alter my sight, making everything else a little darker… a little more hazy.

I didn’t realize snowblindness was a thing.

And I didn’t know it was bad for me.

I think cultural whiteness is the same.

…That general sort of nebulous American whiteness that has erased our unique cultural backgrounds and left us with what? Cheeseburgers and french fries? Baseball? Systemic oppression of anyone who doesn’t fit the mold? Domestic terrorism blamed on mental health? An individualism that tells us we can do anything and then sells us the “self-made man” trope so hard that we refuse to work together to actually accomplish the “anything” that can benefit us all?

It’s a field of white, burning our gaze with its distorted intensity until we are left with only…

→ Anger and defensiveness toward anything that challenges our view (the “burning, gritty sensation”)

→ PragerU levels of resistance to any truth other than what “whiteness” presents (the “sensitivity to light”)

→ An inability to see past the narratives handed to us by those in power (the “blurry vision”)

→ Signs of deeper issues that, left unchecked, can be dangerous to ourselves and others (the “halos”)

Am I reaching too far in this metaphor? Maybe.?

But I think there is still truth here.

The truth that we have grown up in a collective that doesn’t recognize, honor, or take responsibility for

1) the existence of? “whiteness” (and the advantages that come along with it), and

2) the impact that whiteness has on everyone—White, Black, Brown, Indigenous, Hispanic, Latinx, and Asian

We believe the world just is the way it is…

…and that the rules of OUR world are the same for everyone else in THE world.

Except they are not.

The unwritten rules and outcomes are different.

Tiny example:

The Wild Fires of Lahaina. Four wildfires ravaged Lahaina (on the Hawaiian island of Maui) on August 8th. As of August 27th, one of the fires was still burning. It is the deadliest wildfire our country has seen in more than a century, taking hundreds of lives with over a thousand still missing. Many of the lives lost are children. (It burned through homes during the time parents were away at work.) Media outlets (quoting officials) report the death toll at around 114. Locals, people I personally know, are telling us no—the count passed 400 within the first day. And I would never have known except for a random TikTok and my friendship with people connected to that area. The news was here and gone with a finger snap. And how long did it take President Biden to show up and give support? 13 days.

Hurricane Idalia in Florida. A Category 3 hurricane hit landfall in Florida on August 30th, killing at least 3 people and causing massive damage. Our eyes have been on Florida since before the hurricane hit. We knew to message loved ones and friends. Organized efforts of help and support are already underway. And our president had his boots on the ground within 3 days.

Whiteness will ask you to dismiss this as coincidence.

But if we look back through history, we can find the bigger picture that shows us that White (especially wealthy) America is prioritized over the impoverished and communities of color.

We are snowblind.

And the first step to heal is to stop looking at the snow.

We need to put on shades.

In this case, searching for, listening to, and learning from people of color who can give perspective to everything that exists beyond the searing white.

So here is my ask to you as a fellow White person…

Instead of getting defensive when conversations of race and anti-racism work come up…

→ Release the perceived shame. (It’s not serving you.)

→ Ask yourself, “What am I not seeing?”

→ Look for what YOU can do. (No, you didn’t own enslaved people, but are you assuming that affirmative action is placing UNQUALIFIED people in places they shouldn’t be? Are you discounting the lived experiences of Black people? Are you explaining away the racism against them as “one-offs” rather than taking a few steps back to see the entire system?)

→ Then take action. (Do your research. Change your mind.)

Look, you were a kid when you learned how the world works. You didn’t know staring into the whiteness for all these years would hurt your vision. It’s not your fault.

But as an adult, you have a choice and a responsibility.

Will you keep staring into the whiteness that created all this blindness + racial fallout to begin with?

Or will you have the courage to be curious and choose a different way?

If you’re wondering where to start, I offer two options:

1) MESSAGE ME. I’m happy to have a judgment-free conversation about whatever is coming up for you.

2) DOWNLOAD THIS INCREDIBLE RESOURCE from my mentor and friend, Dr. Lynne Maureen Hurdle:

???The Five Mistakes Wh?te People Make When It Comes To Anti-Racism?

?? https://theconflictcloser.com/5mistakes

Whatever you choose, I hope you choose to move forward in the work.

***

Reflections of Racism is my uncomfortable look in the mirror to identify the roots of racism and white supremacy still active in my life. I don't have all the answers. I'm not standing as a voice for anyone but me. I'm simply sharing my inner monologue in hopes that my failures, faults, missteps, and mistakes can help someone else see, challenge, and change the white supremacist ideologies influencing their world too.

White supremacy isn't a system I chose; it was one I was born into. But you better believe I'm gonna do everything in my power to choose out, burn it down, and build something better in the ashes.