Where The White People At?
It really seemed like we were having a moment, didn’t it?
The summer of 2020 was a huge moment for civil rights. After the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, the country exploded in anger and solidarity with the Black community. Amid the largest civil rights movement of our time, many conversations were taking place about the disproportionate violation of the rights of not just the Black community, but also Indigenous, Latino, and other communities of color. The social issues plaguing poor and minority communities where incidents of police brutality are highest, however, received little attention.
As soon as the conversation moved towards systemic racial injustice or the dominant population checking their own racial biases, White people gradually dispersed into the invisibility whiteness affords them. The current theme seems to be them sitting at home talking the talk of anti-racists using ideas poached from the work of thinkers who are Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC) and never putting in any work to make changes in their own lives. These days, talk is cheap. As are the photos being used to validate someone’s anti-racism after attending one protest for a couple of hours and holding some signs. Validation comes from taking tangible action to force change. Your photos mean nothing when we can see how you act.
Also, White folks (if you’re still here), allyship means not centering yourself.
You see, when the faux-allyship began getting called out, the dominant population scurried away and again disappeared into the sea of whiteness. Every time we try to help White people course-correct, they disengage. They fall into the “my way or the high way” routine by arguing what should and shouldn’t offend BIPOC. They argue what is and isn’t racism while putting their own implicit bias and racism on display. It’s inevitable. Sadly, it happens more often than it should.
So what happened to all the allies? The seemingly millions of people who took to the streets in support of Black Lives Matter and ending police brutality have all but disappeared. As soon as activists started talking about the real issues behind racial injustice, the social services needed, and how to provide them, even Liberals turned their backs. Liberal King, Joe Biden clapped back on a journalist who asked him about defunding the police by committing to an additional $300 million to the already bloated budgets of America’s law enforcement apparatus.
To White America, social programs that prevent crime and alleviate desperation are but a tax burden. But they willingly give police departments billions of dollars in support of a racist police state instead of providing services to the needy and underserved. White folks already have the services poor and minority communities need so they don’t see the problem. Suburbia has all the safety nets and privilege that allows White folks the ability to move in silence. They’re fine.
Shining a light on racism and implicit bias ultimately casts the shadows of all White folks. Most go from moving in silence to saying, “I’m guilty of that” and making efforts to avoid confronting it.
Racial Justice
The term “racial justice” got a lot of play over the summer and it was clear that most people didn’t have a full understanding of what it means. Racial justice goes beyond police brutality and police brutality goes much further than state-sanctioned murder. Police brutality encompasses brutal assaults, rape, and the terrorization of poor and non-white communities all across the country. Racial justice involves not just the implementation of social programs but requires White people to take a look in the mirror and take action towards social equity for all.
Police misconduct is an issue that has existed since police have. Law enforcement has always been there to protect the assets of the wealthy while oppressing marginalized groups. Cops are too often used as tools of the oppressor. The mass incarceration of minority populations has paved the way for the destruction of entire communities. Economic inequality benefits White investors with access to funds who buy large swaths of these communities; building highways and gentrifying them for profit while displacing millions of BIPOC.
“The drug war clogs the courts to the point of breakdown. It keeps more Americans in Federal prison for drug crimes than were in for all crimes put together in 1980. It criminalizes a generation of African-American men; this is the main reason a third of all black males in their 20s are under correctional control — jail, prison, probation, or parole.” (Baum, 1996)
When we use the term racial justice we must understand how loaded it is. Racial justice isn’t simply about police brutality. It’s about equality and equity in the communities that have been built over decades. It’s about ownership of those communities and about providing a level playing field. It’s about having the opportunities white suburbia has to allow positive economic impacts by those who live, operate, and represent marginalized communities in need. It’s about preventing crime and desperation.
Having equal access to quality affordable healthcare and related services regardless of skin color; employment opportunities that pay a living wage within a reasonable commuting distance; quality affordable housing that helps bolster existing communities; are all issues that are deeply intertwined with racial injustice. Crime is lower in communities experiencing positive growth. The effects of negative growth fueled by oppressive policies that dismantle communities lead to crimes of desperation.
“…police use more aggressive tactics in these areas such as “street sweeps,” drug courier profiles, consent searches, and so forth. Taken together, these factors combine to expose drug offending in lower class areas to greater police surveillance and higher probabilities of police detection.” (Mitchell, O., and M.S.Caudy. 2015)
Communities that are struggling due to political oppression become targets for more aggressive policing leading to an increase in cases of police misconduct and brutality. The militarization of police, warrior training, a militaristic mentality (despite not having any military training), and lax recruiting policies lead to the prejudicial over-policing of underserved communities. Many times, cops enforce and police on behalf of oppressive policy decisions made to benefit wealthy real estate developers and greedy investors who treat minority populations as liabilities.
Tearing communities and families apart using victimless crimes is just one step in a process that makes the continued oppression of BIPOC possible. The use of politically-charged terminology such as “high crime areas” used to implement policies such as “broken windows policing” only affects impoverished communities. And despite White people using drugs at similar rates to anyone else, oppressive policies such as stop-and-frisk never target their communities — another example of America’s dual systems of justice.
The fight for racial justice is long and complex. America needs a sustained approach putting continued pressure on the socio-political system. We need more White people to listen, learn, support, and get involved with existing movements and organizations. The fight for racial justice transcends political affiliations and social standing. Equality and justice will take all of us.
Where to Begin
It begins with White folks coming to terms with their own prejudice. By becoming aware of those biases they can then be addressed. Self-awareness is crucial to moving forward as an anti-racist. Becoming self-aware allows us to better address the racism and bigotry we see and hear from our own friends and family. Calling out racism doesn’t mean getting into a shouting match with one another. It means creating a dialogue where a deeper conversation can thrive. Make those discussions count even if you make little progress.
Shaming and screaming at those closest to us only serves to further disenfranchise them from the movement for racial justice. While it can be frustrating, it helps to take the matter more seriously knowing what’s at stake. The fight for racial justice will never be easy. While it helps to tackle the issue by debunking racist myths, the complexity doesn’t provide excess time to waste arguing the cause with the willfully ignorant as the push for social change grows.
Addressing implicit bias and bigotry in the workplace is also crucial. BIPOC already struggle with racist macro- and micro-aggressions multiple times a day. Finding spaces for Black and Brown people to feel comfortable is difficult enough. In most cases, the only space where any of us feel safe is at home and even that has become dangerous. Workplace safety should also be about ensuring BIPOC can operate without worrying about racist bosses or coworkers.
“Racial/ethnic stereotypes are deep rooted in our history; among these, the dangerous Black male stereotype is especially relevant to issues of differential school discipline today … Thus, old patterns continue to be reinforced through the ongoing processes of implicit bias, micro-aggression, and colorblindness. Thus, to effectively address inequity, the role of race must be explicitly acknowledged in addressing racial disparities in discipline.” (Carter P., Skiba R., Arredondo M., Pollock M.)
It’s not easy facing your own prejudice. Many of us had to do a lot of work to get to where we are. Despite growing up in a multi-cultural and multi-racial family, there were still biases that are born from ideas that were handed down or taught by being around others. Looking internally and addressing discriminatory ideas towards not just racial and ethnic groups, but also women and the LGBTQ community is a sometimes difficult and daunting task but it must be done.
The fight for racial justice teaches people how to address bigotry towards BIPOC while defining and helping them approach possible prejudices towards other groups. Similarly, when we support civil rights movements like Black Lives Matter, we’re fighting for social justice that will inevitably benefit society as a whole. Let’s not forget how many different marginalized groups have benefitted from the passage of the Civil Rights Act.
If you find yourself asking where to begin, start internally. Then begin addressing those around you who harbor bigoted beliefs. Speaking up for Black people right now is crucial. Many of the oldest racist tropes have resurfaced and are being used broadly to promote hate on far-right message boards and among hate groups who are lying in wait for another unprovoked domestic attack on the United States.
White nationalism and hate have been monetized. It has become an industry that has attracted some of the wealthiest people in the world. The funding of hate begins with online stores and ends with huge financial investments through Donor Advised Funds (DAFs). DAFs allow for somewhat anonymous donations by wealthy elitists to be passed down to known organizations that promote hate. The only way to beat them is through an organized effort to stop the spread of extremism. The only way to do that is to confront it head-on with persistence. These conversations need to happen now, not later.
Are you strong enough? We are. But we could use the help of people with access and privilege. People with the right connections. And politicians.
Everyone. We need everyone.
References:
Mitchell, O., and M.S. Caudy. 2015. Examining Racial Disparities in Drug Arrests. Justice Quarterly 32: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07418825.2012.761721
Baum D. 1996. Smoke and Mirrors: The War on Drugs and The Politics of Failure. U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs: https://www.ojp.gov/library/abstracts/smoke-and-mirrors-war-drugs-and-politics-failure
Carter P., Skiba R., Arredondo M., Pollock M. 2016. You Can’t Fix What Look At: Acknowledging Race in Addressing Racial Discipline Disparities: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0042085916660350
Arturo is an anti-racist politics nerd, journalist, and founder of The Antagonist Magazine. He is a top writer on racism on Medium and a regular contributor to several news media outlets. He is also a proud member of the Writers and Editors of Color (#WEOC) Collective. If you’d like to learn more about the issues covered here, follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also support his work here