systemic racism

Fear & Racism – Intertwined

/ Dave Eberwein / 2 Comments

People resist because they think they’re losing something. In reality, they’re making room. Room for better opportunities, room for growth, and room for clarity. You can’t build a stronger future if you refuse to demolish the outdated past.

Jay Alderton

This quote adds to the notion that change is hard because we don’t know what lies ahead and inserts the idea that resistance to change can also be because we fear losing something we cherish — something we value like control or our place in community.

The fear of losing is really about the fear of being ‘less’.

Building a brighter future for ourselves, and especially others requires being able to let go of the things that put roadblocks in our path to being better.

Racism is one of those roadblocks.

Some people have never been able to truly let go of racism because of the of fear losing control over our place in community — that our ‘slice of the societal pie’ will somehow become less if we treat others like ourselves. So, we take opportunity to marginalize others to give us the false belief that we are better and more important.

Treating others with dignity and respect doesn’t diminish our own place or relevance. Respect doesn’t have a capacity limit.

Dave Eberwein

Being Anti-Racist Means Being Active Against Racism

Racism has been a familiar topic of mine in The Power of Why:

While these posts were back in 2022, I haven’t stopped thinking about the topic, as racism is still alive and well in our community — and in our schools.

As I watch the news, I find it incredibly disappointing to see the increasing frequency of intolerance and bigotry towards others — whether it’s directed at a particular culture, religion, gender identity, language, sexual orientation, financial status, country of birth or skin colour — and I’ve probably left out a few descriptors — the spewed hatred and stereotyping that is found on social media and even from some political leaders can be disheartening.

Racism: Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior.

But, you may be sitting and thinking: “I’m not racist. This doesn’t apply to me.” Well, it does.

I don’t think I’ve ever met a person who believes they are racist — or, at least, anyone who claims to not have a ‘good reason’ to justify their bigotry. Believing one is not a racist is not the same as being anti-racist. And that’s an important distinction. If we are ever going to bring racism to its knees, especially in this time of social media antagonism, we all need to be ACTIVE in our anti-racism. We need to be visible in our disdain for intolerance, stereotyping, and bigotry.

It’s not OK to:

  • Be silent in the presence of racism
  • Let someone else take on the challenge of standing up for what’s right
  • Be inconsistent with the values of respect, acceptance and love for one another

Here are some key identifiers of racism:

  1. Stereotyping: Making generalized and often inaccurate assumptions about a group of people based on their race.
  2. Discrimination: Treating people unfairly or unjustly because of their race.
  3. Microaggressions: Subtle, often unintentional, comments or actions that can be hurtful or offensive to people of marginalized groups.
  4. Hate Speech: Using derogatory or offensive language aimed at a particular race.
  5. Systemic Racism: Institutional policies and practices that disproportionately affect certain racial groups.
  6. Cultural Appropriation: Adopting elements of a marginalized culture without permission or understanding, often in a way that reinforces stereotypes.
  7. Racial Profiling: Suspecting or targeting someone based on their race rather than their behavior.
  8. Exclusion: Deliberately leaving out or ignoring people because of their race.
  9. Colourism: Discrimination based on skin color, often within the same racial or ethnic group.
  10. Implicit Bias: Unconscious attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions.
We Can Do This – We Really Can

If you are aware of what racism looks like you can challenge it when you see it, hear it or read it. Be active in your opposition to it.

Individually, we make a difference. Together, we make a movement.

Bring racism to its knees.

(With special thanks to Star Wars and the quote from Jedi-master Yoda)

RACISM – It’s Time to Talk!

/ Dave Eberwein / 6 Comments

This is a difficult topic — both to discuss with you, but also in finding the words to do so. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve deleted whole paragraphs and started again.

  • How do I communicate what I really want to say about this topic?
  • How do I make it relevant?
  • How do I keep it succinct yet powerful?

I’m not sure I’ve got it right, but I’m sharing it now anyways. Racism needs to be acknowledged, understood and challenged.

It’s time to talk!

How about a few examples of racist comments. Racism can be subtle or ‘hit-you-between-the-eyes’ bold:

Minimizing racism by comparing it to other issues:

  • “It’s true that maybe they’ve experienced racism, but I’m ________ (fill in the blank with any particular group) and feel like I’ve been discriminated against as well.”

Dismissing racism:

  • “These people just need to get over it. I can’t believe they are still talking about this after all these years.”

And some are really ignorant:

  • “I feel disrespected as a white person. It’s time for me to stand up for my own rights.”

Racism is a topic that can alienate people — likely because they don’t feel like they are part of the problem, or they feel that racism really isn’t an issue. And, therein lies the big challenge — having people actually acknowledge that racism is real and that they need to play a role in eliminating it.

If you are steadfast in your belief that, “I’m not racist, nor do I do things that could be construed as racist”, then this post isn’t for you, because you’re not ready to be part of the solution — your mind is closed.

But, if you’re open to really exploring it then let’s begin …

(More on Page 2)

Pages: 1 2

Implicit Bias – Yup, I’m Talking About You!

/ Dave Eberwein / Leave a comment

You are biased.

So am I.

One of These Things is Not Like the Others

We all categorize things — it’s how we sort our world and make sense of it. Good things over here — bad things over there. Similar things in this box — other things in another box. Even Sesame Street encourages us to sort our world.

We also categorize people. Yes, we do. All of us. Sometimes we assign them a description without knowing enough. And, if you think you don’t do that — you’re wrong.

  • We read a news article about a person and consciously assign intent or bias
  • We see someone speeding down the road and label them as dangerous and thoughtless
  • We dislike someone’s decision so, therefore, that person ‘just doesn’t get it’

We all do it. But, why?

  • It’s easier to assign intent to others which then justifies our own bias — the other person is either in-line with our own thinking and an ally, or their intent is misguided and they are an adversary.
  • By assigning intent without inquiring about it, we limit the amount of time we need to put into understanding someone.
Actually … It’s All of Us

Pick a topic, especially one that has a pretty clear line of delineation — global warming, poverty, systemic racism are three that come to mind. All three have some pretty polarizing viewpoints. It’s easier to align oneself with those who are similar to yourself and also assign blame or ignorance to those who are not.

Don’t believe me?

Let’s take a look at social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. I wrote a Nov 2020 blog post about how social media platforms have algorithms that use Artificial Intelligence to find persons who are aligned with your way of thinking. Your clicks, swipes and pauses all help shape the opinions you see on these platforms. Social media builds your belief that many others think just like you — it’s a main reason why the platforms are so popular.

“But, that’s not me. I’m an objective person.”

(More on Page 2)

Pages: 1 2