We All Uphold, Continue and Contribute To White Supremacy

A national conversation about anti-Asian racism has emerged amidst targeted violence that has been on the rise following the Covid-19 pandemic. Until the pandemic arrived, America’s long history of anti-Asian sentiment was not often discussed. The dialogue around the most recent string of heinous crimes is captured through hashtags and statements like #stopasianhate. Many analyses of the anti-Asian sentiments have focused primarily on the harm caused to the Asian community but there also has to be an examination of how we got here in the first place. There have been calls for solidarity across different racial and ethnic communities. Although the common enemy that continues to plague and pillage this world is white supremacy, much of the discussion has centered around the relationship between the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community and the Black community. Despite the complicated relationship between the two communities, there is a history of solidarity that is often overlooked and undermined. One recent headline that rightfully received backlash was titled “How Black people can be strong allies to Asian Americans right now.” The headline has since been changed but reignited public discourse about interracial solidarity. Interracial solidarity will never be possible until we acknowledge the role that white supremacy plays within communities of color while also recognizing how we each uphold anti-blackness; anti-blackness and white supremacy are two heads of the same coin. In response to the aforementioned headline, internationally acclaimed scientist Raven Baxter tweeted a poignant message that deserves further examination: “Can y’all talk about dismantling white supremacy so that minoritized groups don’t have to form bonds through their collective trauma inflicted by white people and we can all just live our freaking lives? Make that trend.” Many conversations have put the onus on marginalized groups to remedy systems that were designed to harm them. More discussions must assess the role that white supremacist ideology plays and how each person contributes to this system.

 White supremacy does not require white people to uphold it. This is a popular myth about white supremacy that allows it to continue. Communities of color are often used as pawns of white supremacy to continue and further its power. What many do not realize is that they are trying to gain admission into a system that never loved them and will not protect them. The model minority myth, for example, characterizes Asians as “polite” and “law-abiding” while juxtaposing their wealth and success with other marginalized communities. The presumption is that playing into the model minority myth and aligning oneself with whiteness will provide benefits, access and opportunities. Within communities of color, it is a common practice to align with and assimilate into white society as a means to advance and propel. White adjacency adopts the notion that proximity to whiteness will equate to advantages. But we cannot forget that the system exists to oppress. In order for white supremacy to thrive, there has to be marginalized groups at the bottom to oppress. The insidious nature of white supremacy is that it prevents those who are oppressed from also seeing and understanding the many ways that they can also be the oppressors. As long as the system is intact, others will continue to be subjugated by it. The most alluring falsehood is the belief that proximity to whiteness will grant you immunity—it will not.

When hate crimes and acts of pure evil occur, white supremacy allows white perpetrators to be humanized while non-white perpetrators are vilified. More time must be spent on individual reflections of how we, as a society, have birthed, created, molded and shaped individuals who are capable of these unspeakable acts. Until there is accountability both within our systems and structures as well as an understanding of how we have each contributed to these systems, the cycle will continue. We all must realize that we have a common enemy—white supremacy. When we ignore the racism that targets other groups because we falsely believe it doesn’t affect us, we are diminishing the power of combined efforts in creating lasting change. Every major revolution that has occurred within society took a critical mass of people working towards a collective goal. One must always remember that white supremacy continues to harm even those it was designed to protect. All of our oppressions are interconnected; we must not forget the powerful words of Reni Eddo-Lodge that “every voice raised against racism chips away at its power.”

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?The Pink Elephant newsletter is a weekly LinkedIn newsletter designed to stimulate critical and relevant dialogue that centers around topics of race and racial equity. The newsletter is curated by Janice Gassam Asare, Ph.D. who is a writer, speaker, consultant, educator, and self-proclaimed foodie. Janice hosts a podcast the Dirty Diversity, where she explores diversity, equity and inclusion in more detail. Janice’s work is centered around the dismantling of oppressive systems while amplifying the voices and needs of the most marginalized folks. If you enjoyed this newsletter, please share with others you feel would gain value from it.

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