Systemic (Anti-Black) Racism: New, Not New

(Yes, I also have Beyoncés Sorry, Not Sorry in my head now…)

I have had many conversations over the last few weeks about anti-Black racism and systemic racism. The conversations feel different. There is a sense of leaning in, of wanting to know, of awareness (even small), that I have not felt before.

For some, this is a new conversation.
For some, this is a very old conversation.
It depends, largely, but not exclusively, on the colour of your skin.

Often, when things are new for us, we have an energy, a fire, a thirst…and we can think that a) it’s actually new for everyone, and b) everyone should get on board.

In the case of understanding and dismantling anti-Black racism, I agree that we should all get on board.  We will need awareness, understanding and assistance from all to dismantle this system. But what I want to talk about is the first thing – the newness of something when it’s new for us.

New, but Not New

In sourcing resources, what you will discover is that most are not new: Black people and People of Colour have been writing books, doing podcasts, making documentaries, giving interviews etc on anti-Black racism (even on anti-Black racism in Canada) for quite some time.

But if you weren’t looking for it, if it wasn’t on your radar, you likely wouldn’t have seen these, likely. That is another manifestation of systemic racism: Black voices/stories/insights/experiences are not promoted for public consumption – unless, of course, they fit the stereotypes.

Daily Reality

But this does not mean that those stories, voices, insights and realities don’t exist. We are just taught/conditioned to believe they don’t. Or that they don’t matter.

As we dig in to do our research, let us remember that although what we are reading and hearing may be new for us, for many – for Black Canadians and Black people all around the world, for People of Colour everywhere – this is NOT new. This is everyday living that is being written and spoken about.

This is what Privilege looks like…

The newness, and our surprise, shock, interest, research are all examples of white / light skin privilege and a manifestation of systemic anti-Black racism/systemic racism. We have the privilege of this being new, of not realizing, of being shocked and/or surprised, and we have the luxury of doing research rather than knowing about it viscerally.

The Opportunity:

Let us learn.

And let us exercise awareness and compassion – because while we educate ourselves (or educate ourselves more), Black people are a mixture of exhausted, angry, frustrated, cynical and fed up. And maybe hopeful.

For some, this is a new conversation.
For some, this is a very old conversation.
For all of us, this is an opportunity.

An opportunity to lean in, to learn, to listen, to talk, to share, to ask, to notice, to deconstruct, to demand, to do things differently.

What are you doing/ who are you being to contribute to change?