Let us dissemble the: βI donβt see colour because Iβve decided racism is mean and also please clapβ speech that Audun made the other day, okay?Β
Translating that steaming pile of awkward (perhaps well-meaning?) ignorance into what it actually says:
βI have been told that being racist is bad, and now I am panicking in a well-lit room trying to sound like a decent human without actually doing the work to unpack my bias. So instead, here is a sad little parade of generic platitudes I learned from Instagram comment sections in 2014.β
Saying βPOC are just as beautiful as othersβ implies that whiteness is the default standard of beauty, and everyone else is being measured against itβhow generous of him!
And the whole βI will not be secretly racistβ line? Bro. That is not a badge, that is baseline human decencyβand the word βsecretlyβ is doing a lot of heavy lifting there (I apologise for repeating myself).
What he should be saying if he were serious about this:
βI now realise that racism is not just about hateful slurs or violence, but also about passive biases, cultural erasure, privilege, and silence. I have work to do. I am listening, reading, and actively correcting my thinking and behaviourβnot to appear better, but to be better. Because the impact of my behaviour matters more than my intention.β
If you are struggling with what was done wrong here, get a pen and paper.
1: What Is Racism, Really?
Define βracismβ in your own words before reading anything. Then, read/watch a reputable source (e.g Ijeoma Oluo, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Layla Saad).
Now rewrite your definition. What changed? What did not?
Did the contrast surprise you?
2: βI Donβt See Colourβ β The Lie of Colourblindness
Have you ever said or believed, βWe are all the sameβ?
Why do you think that felt like a safe or positive thing to say?
What harm might that phrase doβeven if it is well-intended?
3: How Has Whiteness Protected You?
List five situations where your whiteness gave you comfort, safety, or invisibility.
Be specific. A job interview? A shop? A confrontation with police?
What would that situation have looked like for someone Black or Brown?
4: When You Stayed Silent
Name one moment when you saw or heard racism, bias, or bigotry and stayed quiet.
Alternately, name one time that you were the one telling the racist or bigoted jokes.
Why did you allow it to continue?
What do you wish you had done?
What stopped you?
Or if you were the perpetrator, why did you feel so comfortable to send the meme, tell the joke or be so blatantly racist?
5: Becoming Anti-Racist
What is the difference between βnot being racistβ and being anti-racist?
List 3 things you are actively doing (or committing to do) to fight racism.
Not just avoiding harmβcreating repair.
Do you believe being an ally is useful? Why or why not?
Real Anti-Bias Reflection
1. The Mirror Check:
Write down a belief or attitude you used to hold that someone challenged.
What was the belief? Where did it come from?
2. The Realisation:
When did you first start to see this belief as problematic?
Was it because someone was upset? Or because you truly started to question it?
3. The Gap:
What is the difference between not acting racist and being actively anti-racist?
Which one describes you better? Why?
4. The Repair:
What have you done (or can you do now) to correct the harm that past beliefs or behaviours may have caused?
5. The Proof:
Imagine someone from aΒ marginalised group is reading your journal.
What would they need to see or hear from you to believe you have truly changed?
