With the horrendous death of George Floyd in America last week at the hands of a white police officer, there has been an outpouring of grief, indignation and activism emerging worldwide that is highlighting and questioning our attitudes and actions towards racism.
Conversations around race and privilege are tough ones but in my view necessary for the benefit of the human race (there are not different races, there is only one - the human race). It has started to raise the question of "white privilege", something if I am honest, I have never given much thought to. Which likely means I have it in spades.
"Privilege is when you think something is not a problem because you aren't affected personally."
When I thought about writing this blog, I was cautious. I wanted to make sure I articulated my thoughts in a way that doesn't offend anyone, or show my ignorance. But here's the thing - I am ignorant. I've never given much thought to racism as it hasn't been a direct experience of mine. I'm a white woman from a working class background who grew up and lives in rural Ireland. I've been fat shamed, bullied, felt left out due to my financial means and subjected to sexism, but never discriminated towards for my race or skin colour. I have no idea what it feels like to live with racism. When I lived in Canada, I had a front row seat into the issue of police brutality, particularly towards ethnic minorities or those suffering with mental health issues. It was so common to hear of stories of the police there shooting unarmed people, and while it would get air time and talked about, I saw nothing change in my 6 years in Canada. It was happening when we got there, and it was happening when we left.
In terms of offending anyone, I apologise. Educate me, help me understand. Now is not the time to worry about looking smart or not saying the right thing. Now is the time to speak up, to take action, to be a part of the change we want to see for our world. Anything to do with privilege makes people feel very uncomfortable... but that doesn't mean you stop having the difficult conversations.
I am only starting to explore my white privilege, but here is what I have learned so far:
It is not enough to not be racist
I grew up in rural Ireland, it wasn't multicultural at all. There was one black person in our 800 person strong secondary school. But I'm naturally a kind person so despite the lack of diversity in my upbringing, I'm not racist. I like to think I don't see others' skin colour. I like to think I treat everyone the same. But the fact that I don't see skin colour was my first sign of white privilege.
"In a racist society it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist." — Angela Y. Davis
The message that has hit home the most for me, is that it's not enough to not be racist. We need to speak up when we see it. In Ireland, racism tends to be casual, not as extreme as we see in North America. It's a joke or a throwaway comment, something we can brush off as "Ah don't say that". But that's not enough anymore, we need to call out friends, family or colleagues when this happens. We need to question how diverse and inclusive are our inner circles, our workplaces and our communities. We need to question how diverse are our influences: is our instagram feed just full of people who look just like us? Mine was.
Educate yourself
My natural inclination is towards being a lifelong learner, so I'm committing myself to learn more about white privilege and racism. I already know more than I did a week ago by getting engaged with hashtags like #blacklivesmatter, watching videos and following more diverse accounts on Instagram. I know, Instagram may not be the most highbrow way to learn, but I already said I'm not hear to look smart about this topic, I'm hear to learn about it!
I've also downloaded some recommended books to read on Audible:
"Awareness is the greatest agent of change." - Eckhart Tolle
Globally, there is a Black Lives Matter website which has lots of accessible information and resources. In Ireland, organisations like the Irish Network Against Racism (INAR) have lots of online resources and detailed reports which will help educate us on racism in Ireland.
Take some action
If nothing changes, nothing changes. Words are easy. But no great change has come from words alone, it needs to be paired with impactful action.
Alongside reading more on racism and white privilege, I've
Tried to show my solidarity, and speak out, on social media, alongside writing about it here
Sent letters to my local TDs (Elected officials of the Irish Parliament). Here is a template you can use
Made a donation to the George Floyd memorial fund. I would like to also make a donation to an Irish fund, but I haven't learned enough yet to know which one.
I'm not writing this for you to congratulate me. Or to be on a bandwagon - believe me I have fell off so many wagons over the years! I'm writing this as I want to be a better person. I want to learn more about the world and the humans who inhabit it. I love people - they are at the very core of my life, both personal and professional, and people is the topic I have the most passion for. I will let you know how I get on, and would love to hear what you have been doing or thinking?
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