Want to start this blog post off just with a good song that I thought was at least a little relevant to all the reading!
(1977) “The Combahee River Collective Statement”
Keywords: anti-racist/interlocking/liberation
The Combahee River Collective Statement splits black feminist issues into four major talking points. First, “The genesis of Contemporary Black Feminism” where they basically talk about the origin of the movement in the 1960s as well as the personal genesis that takes place within an individual. Secondly, the passage “what we believe”. This could not be better summarized than with a quote: “Our politics initially sprang from the shared belief that Black women are inherently valuable, that our liberation is a necessity not as an adjunct to somebody else’s may because of our need as human persons for autonomy.” They believe sex, class, and race politics are simultaneously experienced. Political-economic systems of capitalism only add to this, and ultimately they fight and believe in the ending of these oppressions. The last two topics, “Problems in Organizing Black Feminists” and “Black Feminist Issues and Projects” are fairly self-descriptive, listing their respective issues.
Ijeoma Oluo (2018), “So You Want to Talk About Race”
Keywords: Race/Harm/ System of Power
She begins this talk by reading the introduction to her book. She speaks on her personal experiences with racism, as well as the joys her community has brought her. She dives deeper by questioning why it is so difficult to talk about race. One of the main reasons why is that we live in a system of power that is designed to benefit some while others suffer and because of that we are denied the tools and education we need to properly identify and dismantle this system. It is intentionally kept vague and hard to describe so we don’t know how to stop it. It’s not that everyone is evil and bad, it’s just that we are put into a system that intentionally makes us want to sit back and do nothing. If we don’t accurately describe the issue then people are more likely to keep failing and keep supporting this system of oppression. The other reason she outlines as “why it’s so hard to talk about race” is that we want this all to be about intentions. We all understand that racism is bad but it’s not just about you being a good person with good intentions. It’s about making an actual political impact.
I specifically relate the stories of her childhood and the racism she experienced with the game: Momo Pixel (2017), Hair Nah
Audre Lorde (1980), “Age, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Redefining Difference”
Keywords: Differences/ Oposistion/ Fear
“We have all been programmed to respond to the human differences between us with fear and loathing and to handle that difference in one of three ways: ignore it, and if that is not possible, copy it if we think it is dominant, or destroy it if we think it is subordinate” (Lorde Pg. 115)
I love this quote from the text because it really puts our system into words. We live in a profit economy that whats us to reject differences to create minorities and to create a “pecking order.” This specifically reminds me of how wealth hoarders and white supremacists use social Darwinism to excuse their awful deeds. As Lorde said, “history conditions us to see human differences in simplistic opposition to each other.”
Question: Do you think at some point in your life you have been good-intentioned but passive to these issues? Do you feel like you now have the proper tools to be actively engaged to make a political impact?
Being honest, I definitely have fallen into the ‘good-intentioned but passive’ category. I say that because there have been times, for example, that I’ve heard someone say an off-color comment and maybe rolled my eyes but still bit my tongue. That’s just one tiny example, and I don’t mean to trivialize the real harm racism causes. I am just trying to demonstrate how my passivity or reluctance to do the hard work of confronting someone just perpetuates the system — even in that small(ish) way. While I strive to be an ally to those who are racially, socioeconomically, or gender or sexually oppressed, I feel I have much more listening and learning to do.
That’s a very good small-scale example to illustrate good intentions vs actively anti-racist. Thank you for your response!
Great question. I do think that there have been times in my life where I have had good-intentions but ultimately was too passive in certain situations. It makes me feel a bit disappointed in myself because I think being in a place where you feel like you have no voice and no one speaks up for you either is a bit of a universal experience. I hate to think that I could have stood-up for someone or given someone reassurance or support but didn’t because I didn’t want to create conflict. Especially on a subject that runs this deep. I am much less passive now and do feel like I am better equipped to openly show my support and empathy to others.
I definitely do think there have been times where I had good intentions, but was ultimately passive in situations. Though I try now to be better and speak up about issues, it’s disappointing to know that I could have done better and stopped the issue at hand. I do feel like know, as I’ve grown up and become more active in the situations I find myself in, I can better catch a situation like this and say something.