My Evolving View On Racism

How I Became An Ally

No wonder the Justice Department report states: “Our investigation indicates that this disproportionate burden on African Americans cannot be explained by any difference in the rate at which people of different races violate the law. Rather, our investigation has revealed that these disparities occur, at least in part, because of unlawful bias against and stereotypes about African Americans.”

• From 2012 to 2014, 93% of people arrested by Ferguson police were African American, even though they comprise only 67% of Ferguson’s population.
• Black drivers were twice as likely as white drivers to be searched during traffic stops, but 26% less likely to be found in possession of contraband.
• Nearly 90% of documented force used by FPD officers was used against African Americans.

These are just a few of the heartbreaking findings from the report, which also includes many racist emails from city employees.

Just reading the summary of the report will give you a good idea of how racism, discrimination and oppression manifest themselves in Ferguson. Let me briefly describe one example: without any cause, an officer accused a 32-year-old African-American man of being a pedophile and ordered him out of his car for a pat-down, although the officer had no reason to believe the man was armed. The man objected, citing his constitutional rights. In response, the officer arrested the man, charging him with eight violations. Because of these charges, he lost his job as a contractor with the federal government that he had held for years. If you want to read the whole story, it’s at the top of page 3 of the report.

All the examples in the report of how people’s personal lives are impacted by racism are devastating and shocking to read. Misconduct by police officers can have significant consequences for the people whose rights are violated.

We All Learn To Fear Black People

The culture of racism we are surrounded by, which has now been made blatantly apparent in Ferguson’s police department and is experienced by people of color all over the country, might very well be why a cop like Darren Wilson felt he had no choice but to shoot Michael Brown. He might have truly felt threatened and scared. And yet, I wonder how much of Wilson’s fear stemmed from prejudice or lack of awareness of his own bias. We’re all conditioned to fear Black people after all, and most of us are not aware of it.

For instance, on screen, Black characters use profanity 89 percent of the time, versus white characters who use profanity 17 percent of the time. In films, Blacks are depicted in physical violence 56 percent of the time, while whites play violent roles just 11 percent of the time. (From Robert Entman and Andrew Rojecki’s book “The Black Image in the White Mind.”)

On screen, Black characters use profanity 89 percent of the time, versus white characters who use profanity 17 percent of the time.

If people aren’t aware of the problem, how then can they see the need for change? I’m talking about awareness of your own bias and examining your own prejudice. But it doesn’t end there, we also have a responsibility to ourselves and our neighbors to become conscious of the experience of others and learn what it means to be a person of color.

Even if you don’t discriminate based on skin color and focus on the common humanity of all people, it’s important to realize there are inequalities. And then bring to mind there is no choice in how we are born.

Growing up as a Black person, especially a Black man, in America means that you are faced with discrimination, racial profiling and often intergenerational poverty. You learn that people tend to be afraid of you and you know the odds are against you. Sometimes discrimination is subtle, sometimes it’s blatant. When it’s subtle it’s harder to be aware of it. When you are part of the dominant culture, it’s also harder to be aware of it.

My Own Experience

Racism (the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races) never made sense to me. However, until I was in a relationship with a Black woman there were a lot of things I was ignorant about. Being with her increased my awareness of what it’s like to be Black in America. Having Black friends, reading Black authors and volunteering with Larkin Street Youth Services have also contributed. At Larkin Street, I worked with foster youth, who turned out to be mainly young Black men because, sadly, they make up the majority of foster youth in San Francisco.

As a white person, I’ve always enjoyed going to places where the crowd is really diverse. I like being in a restaurant in Oakland and seeing African Americans around me, for instance. But before I spent a lot of time with Black people, their absence in most restaurants in San Francisco never occurred to me. It’s just a small example, of how I’ve become aware of the white world I live in and the privileges it comes with.

Being part of the dominant culture comes with the privilege of not having to put yourself in the other group’s shoes. It’s one of the things I’ve learned and try be aware of so I can counteract it.

Eye-openers

I’d like to share some of the things I’ve learned along the way that were eye-openers for me. Maybe they’ll give you an aha-moment as well.

For instance, did you know that according to research the chance of a Black man to get hired for a job is as high as for white man with a criminal record?

Studies, like the Police Officer’s Dilemma, show that, even when someone is dedicated to racial equality, he or she is still quicker to pull the trigger on a person of color. There are two sides to this: people in the test hesitated longer to shoot an armed white person, and they more often shot an unarmed Black person. There were equivalent levels of bias among both Black and white participants in the study.

When I first read that, it hit me what our culture or racism is doing to the self-image and self-esteem of Black people.

One of the most powerful examples of how we all internalize prejudice based on race can be observed in the Clark Doll Experiment. It shows how children’s belief system is impacted by what they hear and see around them. Why else would Black children point at the Black doll instead of the white one when they are asked which one is bad or ugly? For me, this is one of the most shocking illustrations of how racism gets internalized at a young age and how it impacts Black children.

Let’s talk!

I believe it’s important to talk about race and racism, even when it makes us feel uncomfortable or vulnerable. I’ve been trying to educate myself on issues of race and racism and have found that increased awareness leads to less prejudice, less racism, less discrimination and more empathy and compassion. I believe that creating awareness for the experience and realities of Black people in our society as well as of our own (unconscious) bias is an important step towards creating change.

I hope this piece encourages you to take action and begin to examine your own bias. Getting informed and committing to overcoming fears and stereotypes are a good place to start. These stereotypes are so deeply ingrained in our subconscious that it will take a conscious effort to unlearn them.

If you’re interested, you can take a test developed by Harvard University that tests your own internal bias. You can take it online. (Click on “proceed” and then select “Race IAT”.)

It’s Personal

I had one more reason for speaking up, also very personal…. When Prop 8 was on the ballot in 2008 and discussions about marriage equality were going on on Facebook, I was quiet for a while. When people started to change their profile pictures to the red-and-pink equal sign, I kept my photo up as I didn’t want to be that obnoxious gay person pushing my own agenda. That was until I saw the first straight person change their avatar. I cried. Not just because of the support I felt from that tiny action, but because it made me realize I had been too afraid to speak up for my own rights. I had not realized it until then.

It took a straight ally in the cause to make me see that. That’s when I pledged to myself that I will speak up for what I believe and I will show my alliance with people who are in a position of inequality. I want all my Black friends to know that they matter. And like them, I want to live in a society where we can all be treated with dignity and equality.

Thank you for reading. March on!