Race and Racism in the US and in Britain
We know that we have much work in this regard still to do. Today it is critical that all members of our community share in the grief of those among us who are the victims of racism, that we take time to reflect on our own experiences and biases, and encourage everyone to learn about and understand how to challenge racism in all its forms. Fighting racism is difficult work, to be certain, but it is essential.
– Patrick Deane, Principal at Queens University
Black lives matter
In the light of recent demonstrations lead by #blacklivesmatter that took into the streets in the US but also globally in response to the murder of George Floyd, I want to recommend two books that I have read a couple of years ago, in order to gain some basic knowledge on racism. Each country has different cultural and societal context and therefore it is challenging to navigate in this topic and actually impossible and not correct to generalize.
Two books raise some questions and at the same time give an understanding of roots and historical developments on the issue of racism that still prevails in our everyday lives. I found them helpful to recognize that there is a different context of racism in Britain and the different context in the US. The roots come from different historical developments that shape the racism into different forms in both countries. Since it is a complex topic, we will focus on the two mentioned countries but bearing in mind, that it is happening all over the globe in its different forms. To start with, let´s take a look into these interesting and very helpful books.
1# Why I am No Longer Talking To White People About Race
Back in 2014, award-winning journalist Reni Eddo-Lodge posted a piece on her blog, entitled: “Why I´m No Longer Talking to White People About Race” that led to this book. She wrote about her frustration with the way that discussions of racism and Britain were being led by those who were not affected by it.
Reni Eddo-Lodge offers explores issues from eradicated black history to the political purpose of white dominance, whitewashed feminism to the unsolvable link between race and class. She offers a current and fundamental framework for how to see, understand, and counter racism. This exploration is harsh, illuminating, and absolutely necessary acknowledgment of what it is to be a person of color in today´s Britain.
This book caught my attention and I think every one of us needs to read it. I love the title because it provokes. The book provokes the discussion. It wants us to listen.
“When I write about white people in this book, I don’t mean every individual white person. I mean whiteness as a political ideology. A school of thought that favors whiteness at the expense of those who aren’t.”
If you are upset about the title or that it hits your usually untouchable whiteness..read it anyway. It will not hurt you, instead, it will most likely expand your horizons. That what we are aiming for, right?
2# The Hate U Give
Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and captivating YA novel about one girl´s struggle for justice.
The main character of the book is 16-years old Starr Carter who moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school that she attends. It is the uneasy balance between these worlds and it gets shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.
Soon after his death, it became a national headline. Some people call him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer or a gangbanger. Protesters are going to the streets in Khalil´s name. Some policemen and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. Everyone wants to know: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr. But what Starr does or doesn´t say could turn over her community. It could also put her life into danger.
“Lack of opportunities. Corporate America don’t bring jobs to our communities, and they damn sure ain’t quick to hire us. Then, even if you do have a high school diploma, so many schools in our neighbourhoods don’t prepare us well enough. Our schools don’t get the resources to equip you. It’s easier to find some crack than it is to find a good school around here.
Now think ’bout this. How did the drugs even get in our neighborhood? This is a multibillion-dollar industry. That shit is flown into our communities but I don’t know anybody with a private jet.
Drugs come from somewhere, and they’re destroying our community.
You got folks like Brenda, who think they need them to survive, and then you got the Khalils, who think they need to sell them to survive. The Brendas can’t get jobs unless they’re clean, and they can’t pay for rehab unless they get jobs. When the Khalils get arrested for selling drugs, they either spend most of their life in prison, another billion-dollar industry or they have a hard time getting a real job and probably start selling drugs again.
That’s the hate they’re giving us, a system designed against us. That’s Thug life.”
I read this book three years ago. Very enlightening and bring the reader closer into the lives of these communities. Today? Still actual. Read the book to hear one of the thousands of George Floyd´s stories.
-Tina-