Biological Race….there is no such thing.
Racism ….there is such a thing.
How can that be? While there is no scientific basis for biological race, there is a social construct called race that shapes all people, every day, all throughout the globe. It was constructed by people from North and Western Europe whose skin was varying shades of pink and white. They decided to build their society’s governance and structures to teach that these skin tones were “normal.” Thus any other skin tones must be abnormal. While a minority tried to prove this theory with scientific method (and failed every time), the majority learned about it and also experienced social forces such as colonialization, immigration, migration and xenophobia. One’s social standing, intelligence, and even whether you were truly human or not was classified (by whoever was most powerful in your region) by the colour of your skin. Slavery and other horrors of oppression were and are allowed (legally provided for bureaucracies included) on the basic of these types of classification. Subtler racism was and is seen in classrooms, workplaces and communities.
Race is not a biological fact but a real and powerful social construct. It is experienced in large systematic practices such as different real estate prices depending on skin colour of your neighbours, different amount of monies given to schools depending on the skin colour of people in its neighbourhood and different coverage in curriculum and in media depending on the skin colour of the history maker.
Robin Diangelo’s White Fragility helped me understand why my experiences of resisting racism go astray and even with my good intentions, I hurt people. Why it can feel so challenging? She writes that those classified as white are not regularly called upon to think about their race (some of my examples: I have never been called “a credit to your race” or been followed by store security due to my skin colour). White people do not have experience with daily intruding experiences (even the small ones can add up to a large exhaustion at the end of a day). Nor do we experience larger prejudice, barriers and plain abuse that are part of other people’s daily lives due to skin colour. White folks are more likely to be able to ignore their skin colour because all doors look open, all opportunities available. It means they can be less resilient in conversations about race. Larger reactions are usually seen from whites at an anti-racism workshop that folks of colour who have had these experiences. I have realized that even when I am hurt by a slight, slur or prejudice it is not due to my skin colour.
Diangelo also highlights the danger of defining racism as “individuals doing bad acts to individuals.” This allows me to say “I am not racist,” (I have not insulted someone of colour today). This definition allows me to ignore how things are decided in my social situations both small and large. However, when I understand that racism as a wide and complex system that needs resistance by many more individuals than are currently even allowed at the tables of power – I cannot say that I do not gain from a world that decides how to treat me depending on my skin tone.
We are invited – all people of all colours – to act. Let us make room for more diversity of people at our tables (friendship tables at the café, Board rooms and government) even when that means stepping down or not having time to share our opinion. Let us invite people to share at meetings or to not share – their choice. Let us call out barriers and jokes – get uncomfortable but stay engaged when you get called out. Let us, not matter what our intentions were, believe others when they say we have hurt them. Let us apologize and ask how we can grow and learn to be someone who can proclaim in word and deed that we are all children of God, one humanity.