Black. White. 2021.
Once every few weeks, I have moments of reflection. Reflection on my life and reflection on my thoughts. Sometimes I feel compelled to write about racism because it has been part of my life and still is part of my life, but there is always a little voice in my head that says that I should not do it. But the urge to write about it remains and I want to share with you my thoughts on racism, black pride, and Black Lives Matter
Every time a new campaign is launched on beating racism or awareness surrounding black consciousness, there is a lot whataboutism or whataboutery going on — diminishing the fact that the sole reason is talking about a problem in society.
This angers me. So this is me expressing my opinion that has been fueled by the injustice I and so many others have experienced — which in my own case have led to mental health issues.
What really makes me angry is that the people that either keep institutional racism in place or have built that institutional racism — are deciding/debating what’s racism or not for the ones that suffer from the racism. Why the need to always undermine? Why not listen to the people who are dealing with a very real problem?
Tackling social injustice and racism, in particular, is not just posting a black tile on Instagram or saying that you have many friends who are black or coloured. Train yourself what it means when you post something on racism (& other social injustices). Are you educating yourself? Are you re-training your brain? Are you actively engaging in a movement towards a better society? Are you fighting against it? Are you challenging lawmakers? These are questions that will start a movement that will lead into developments, social revoltion and progress.
It’s not enough to be against racism or judge it, but you really have to be anti-racism. Everything that is related to racism is something you should loath.
It’s not only about anti-racism, but it’s also about pride. What does it mean to be proud to be black? What does this actually mean to me? What does this mean in relation to white people? Being proud of my heritage has nothing to do with my perception of white people and I don’t feel the need to create hatred. Far from it.
I often feel that this pride is misunderstood for black supremacy and that’s not what it’s about. I think it’s important to stress that white people are not directly responsible or can be held accountable for the actions of their ancestors, but they do have a responsibility to change the social, legal, and economical structure that holds the inequality in place.
It’s also about the admission of historic guilt. Whether people are conscious about it or not, the dynamics between different races are uneven. The reason why black people are voicing that they are proud of heritage, culture, and shared collective memory, is because we were trained otherwise by oppressors, government institutions, and society.
Several influential black people have said the following: “Black people have no knowledge of themselves” — and that’s what it’s about. Gaining access to our history. Exploring ourselves. Discovering languages, traditions, and ideals.
How can you know your worth if you don’t completely know what your identity is? Your self-determined worth is what makes you figure out your place in society.
We have been brought up with white ideals, morals, and standards. This is wrong in my opinion as they should have been taught about the country we live in ánd our own history. Education is so important and you should tell the whole story.
To say that you don’t see colour is an inherently racist thing to say because you assume the white man’s idea of normal. It’s should be a human’s idea of normal. Of all humans.
There are cultural differences between people and they are to be celebrated. Every, human, however, is equal and should be given the same respect, duties, rights, and opportunities. The world is full of great cultures and traditions, but respect needs to be there for everyone to thrive. And that’s not the case at the monet.
