So, You Want to Be Anti-Racist?

"In a racist society, it's not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist."

I'm still holding myself accountable to do the work to be anti-racist. This wasn't just a moment in the media, it is a movement! Are you still showing up? I know I've still got a lot of learning + unlearning to do but I keep coming back to the quote by Maya Angelou, 'when we know better, we must do better' - and grow though the uncomfortable.

Thank you so much for writing this, Sarah - for taking your time + energy, it's so very much appreciated, I certainly got so much from it + I'm sure it will inspire others to continue to do the work.

Over to Sarah

If you want to be anti-racist you’ll need some ammunition (i.e. knowledge)!

Do you ever feel like you want to say something but you’re scared it might be the wrong thing to say so you end up not saying it? And then it leads to you replaying the conversation in your head wishing you had said something? Sound familiar! Well in issues concerning race, identity + ethnicity, this can happen all too often.

It may be due to a lack of confidence because your knowledge in these areas is limited. Or you may have had conflicting information. Well as Caroline often likes to say, when you know better - do better.

So, here is me helping you to know better. Why should we listen to you, you may ask? Well, Caroline asked me to help because she is aware of my background in education. I worked as a consultant supporting schools in raising achievement of minority groups. I’ve had experience delivering anti-racist workshops and training to staff and I’ve spent time researching this.

Disclaimer: just because I am Black does not mean that what I say is the voice or experience of everyone with the same colour skin as me. What I share with you comes from the knowledge and experience I have gained from my studying and career. There is a little bit of me thrown in as well, but that happens with whatever I do.

So, sitting comfortably? It could begin to get uncomfortable. Let's begin!

Question: when did you first realise what colour you were?

Never had to think about it or consider it? Probably because it doesn’t impact on your life chances.

Ok, here’s an easier one.

When did you first experience or witness discrimination?

A previous colleague of mine who is also Black tells the story that she firsts experienced it when she was told she couldn’t be Cinderella in a school play because Cinders was white + well, she wasn’t.

She was treated differently because of the colour of her skin. Is this racism then? In this case, yes. Opportunity wasn’t offered to her - it was taken away from her and everyone who looks like her. Doesn’t that sound crazy? Check out Jane Elliott on youtube as she explains why racism is a mental health problem.

Prejudice means to pre judge someone before you even know them personally as an individual. Prejudice is often perpetuated by negative stereotyping.

Racism is power plus prejudice. Have you heard of the 1% who supposedly control all of the wealth in the world? Well, they have power. Power isn’t about numbers or majority. If you are prejudiced against a group of people and can affect their life chances - then that is racism. Racism is not a gang of Black boys picking on a single white boy. That is prejudice and bullying but not racism. Racism affects life chances and the way you live just because of the colour of your skin.

But why, you may ask? Good question. Greed mostly. And fear.

Racism is a social construct. It’s not scientific. It was posited as such so there was reason to treat others as less than human because the belief was that they actually were. Even Christianity supported it, citing the curse of ham as a justification for the inhuman treatment experienced by Africans.

Let’s just get some clarity over a major historical event here

Slavery - used in a wide range of cultures and still present today. Yes, the Africans did have slaves but there are two major differences. There wasn’t a worldwide trade driven by greed. The slaves were not considered or treated as less than human. Some slaves married well into the families of their owners. Being treated less than human means your life doesn’t matter and sadly, that belief has been carried to this present day. When people cry out that Black lives matter, it is a reminder saying Black lives matter too because for centuries, they really didn’t. It’s not that one set of lives matter more than another but it seems that it has to be actually stated that Black lives matter too just as much as any other. Conviction + perceptions can be so much ingrained that it is almost in the DNA. It will take generations to reverse this prejudiced thinking which is why real action needs to take place.

Let’s talk the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans. Why such a long title? Well it was transatlantic (look up triangular trade route). Also, no African was born a slave, they were enslaved. Big difference. Black history didn’t start with the ‘trade’. There were many incredible African civilisations before Europeans came on the scene. They were kind of late to the party in terms of travelling around the world actually and columbus could not have discovered anything that was already there. During the ‘trade’ there were many uprisings and rebellions. Despite the best efforts of the europeans, Africans still resisted and their actions along with others brought about the decline of the trade. Did you know that slave owners were paid compensation? Did you know that we only finished paying this compensation off in 2015?

Let me break it down . . .

Ethnic Minority - anyone who is not White British

BME - Black + Minority Ethnic - anyone who doesn’t have white skin

Difference? A Polish person could be considered an ethnic minority but not BME - with BME, the difference is visible.

BAME - Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic - as above really.

People of colour - as above but used more in the USA

It seems strange to be classed as a minority when those with Brown skin make up over 90% of the world population!

The term you use depends on your audience or the conversation. Don’t be afraid to use the terms Black or White or Asian though. I personally would differentiate between South Asian and East Asian though.

There are soooooo many differences between and amongst these groups that it seems folly to clump, sorry ‘classify’, them all into one group. Look how many regional + cultural differences there are just in England? Try going to London and asking for a cob + a bottle of pop! Diversity is huge.

Terminology just like language changes over time. If someone you know uses an out of date term, model the correct term or tell them outright (but in a nice way).

People often say they don’t see colour. Please do. It’s a part of someone, their history, lineage + culture. Maybe don’t let colour be the reason you treat someone differently or badly but embrace someone for who they are - all of them.

Racism exists.

Everyone has a story but not everyone gets to use their voice.

How will you use yours?

Thank you, Sarah

Can you remember back when social media was flooded with the black squares? 28 million instagram posted a black square. That was back in 2020 + I wonder how many of the 28 million have done what they said they were going to do.

I love how Sophie Williams writes how being anti-racist is an ally ship + it's uncomfortable, an active action + an ongoing practice. It reminds me how yoga has taught me to live life. That we're constantly learning, growing + evolving. Change has, and always will be, triggering + difficult. The opposite is of change is staying comfortable + in a fixed mindset. And that isn't an option.

Yoga has also taught me to put my hand up + check myself. It's triggering. It's challenging. But the alternative is to not grow. To me, that's not an option. And the more that you do it - in all areas of life - you'll find it empowering. It's an incredible tool that we can all tap into. From here, we can then learn + grow, and be a better ally. In order to know where we're going, we need to know where we are. And if that means we're having our eyes opened for the first time, then RESPOND to that + take action. Don't shy or hide away. There have been so many things I've reflected on where I could've done better. But I don't have a pity party, because it's not about that, it's about showing up in high vibrational ways.

One of my favourite quotes is by Maya Angelou - "when you know better, DO better" This isn't passive. This is action. This is about doing the work. This is about showing up. Always.

So this blog post isn't to tell you all that you need to know (I'm very much still doing a deep dive into the work myself - always) but a space to share resources that have helped me become, I hope, a better ally. It's a starting point for you to go away + learn, read, reflect, journal + then most importantly - action.

A big thank you to Sarah for writing an inspiring + educational blog post. I'll end this blog with Sarah's reflective words: 'Racism exists. Everyone has a story but not everyone gets to use their voice. How will you use yours?'