Time For Change

I have thought long and hard about whether to write this, but after much deliberation about the comments I am likely to get, I decided that the reason for most of the racist abuse being suffered by millions around the world is because too many people stay silent. As the partner of a black Jamaican man, I have seen the torment he still goes through on so many occasions due to the colour of his skin, and that hurts me too. At the supermarket not so long ago, the cashier refused to interact with him, and even turned her face away whilst serving him, at the airport he is pulled aside 99.9% of the time for a ‘random’ spot check, he is followed around stores all the time by security like he is a prolific shoplifter, and on public transport people will not sit next to him even though they have no other seat! This is surely not acceptable in 2020, yet it still happens all the time, and I see the effect it has on his well being.

The news this week around removing programmes from Netflix, and the pulling down of statues that depict slavery and ‘blackface’ has been met with much criticism, from many groups of people, who believe its about political correctness gone mad, or that people are just too sensitive, so I just wanted to give my point of view.

Firstly, removing the programmes that mimic ‘blackface’, in my opinion is unnecessary, and the reason I say this, is because it will not help the Black Lives Matter movement, as people who laugh at this type of programme simply don’t understand the history behind blackface, so removing it won’t stop the racism, the profiling or the abuse, in fact it’s likely to increase it, as those who like to see these programmes don’t understand the reasons why it offends so many black people. I have seen many Facebook posts this week comparing blackface to the scene in the movie ‘White Chicks’, but if people really understood the history of blackface, they would hopefully see that there is no comparison.

I don’t claim to be an expert on black culture or racism, and i am more than willing to keep learning from others, but if by explaining the history behind blackface helps just one person to understand why its offensive then it is worth it, so here goes:

The History of Blackface

Blackface isn't just about painting one's skin darker or putting on a costume. It invokes a racist and painful history.

The origins of blackface date back to the minstrel shows of mid-19th century. White performers darkened their skin with polish and cork, put on tattered clothing and exaggerated their features to look stereotypically "black." The first minstrel shows mimicked enslaved Africans on Southern plantations, depicting black people as lazy, ignorant, cowardly or hypersexual, according to the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC).

The performances were intended to be funny to white audiences. But to the black community, they were demeaning and hurtful. The characters were so pervasive that even some black performers put on blackface, historians say. It was the only way they could work -- as white audiences weren't interested in watching black actors do anything but act foolish on stage.

Such negative representations of black people left a damaging legacy in popular culture, especially in art and entertainment. Minstrel shows were usually the only depiction of black life that white audiences saw. Presenting enslaved Africans as the butt of jokes desensitised white Americans to the horrors of slavery. The performances also promoted demeaning stereotypes of black people that helped confirm white people's notions of superiority.

By distorting the features and culture of African Americans—including their looks, language, dance, deportment and character—white Americans were able to codify whiteness across class and geopolitical lines as its antithesis

(Kaur, H., 2019)

The only way we can have any hope of changing racist views is by education. In schools and at home this needs to be taught, and any racist behaviour stamped out at any early age, whilst all organisations should have absolute zero tolerance on this issue, for which I am pleased to say that my current company really welcomes inclusiveness, and DO follow the zero tolerance rule. In society we ALL have lots to learn, but if each person just takes the time to learn one fact about racism and the effect it has on an individual’s life, then hopefully it could be the beginning of the end for racism.