At EmbRACE we will wrap up 2021 with this, our third newsletter.
We invite you to find some time over the holiday period to explore each section in depth. There’s a film to watch, a short article to read, a podcast to listen to and some words to ponder. You may like to visit the International Slavery Museum (perhaps virtually). We are also sharing with you some expertly facilitated online workshops on racism in January and February 2022.
We hope you enjoy the festive season, and we will see you in 2022. What will you resolve to do in the New Year?
Something to do
Visit the International Slavery Museum
Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, L3 4AQ
Open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 - 16:00
Free admission
Virtual tour available online
The International Slavery Museum highlights the importance of slavery in both a historic and contemporary context. It provides greater awareness and understanding of the legacy of slavery today. The museum actively campaigns to end racism and hate crime both locally and nationally. They work with local and national organisations and charities to address ignorance and challenge intolerance whilst building partnerships with the community.
What does it mean to me? (Sarah)
Part of the museum focusses on the Atlantic slave trade. There are several interactive exhibits, short films, and artefacts to look at. Many highlight the role of the UK in the slave trade. This makes the museum interesting for people of all ages. The next part explores racism and prejudice, and modern day slavery. Walking from the ‘historic’ part of the museum to the ‘contemporary’ part was a poignant reminder that perhaps lessons have not been learned, and it was a stark reminder of how far is left to go in the campaign to end racism and prejudice. After leaving the museum I needed to go and sit down and quietly reflect on what I had seen. I felt uneasy, with perhaps a bit of guilt, and the reason for this was twofold: that (some) British people had played a huge role in perpetuating and profiting from the slave trade and society does not seem to have learned lessons from this; and secondly, the privilege I have based on the level of melanin in the outer 2 millimetres of my body. A visit to this museum will stick in your mind for a long time after you have left.
If you would like to visit the museum but are unable to travel to Liverpool, then there is a virtual museum tour.
Suggested reflections
It is estimated that Britain transported 3.1 million Africans (of whom 2.7 million arrived) as part of the transatlantic slave trade. Have you encountered education on Britain’s role in the slave trade? If not, why might that be the case?
Something to read
Kindness is not the solution to racism - Alicia Sprague
“We must reflect on the many ways in which we may be acting out racism and other discrimination because of ideas we’ve subconsciously inherited”
What’s the context?
Alicia Sprague is White. She grew up in a neighbourhood where most people were White. She used to believe that kindness was enough to solve a lot of the world’s problems, including racism. This is what her White society taught her.
However, her thoughts on racism changed when she made a conscious effort to educate herself about different perspectives.
“I believe in the power of kindness… But I no longer think that kindness will end oppression”.
She sought out friends who held different identities to her own. She talked to relatives about topics that were rarely discussed at home. She visited new places, and attended different events. She also read a range of books. By expanding her knowledge, she opened her eyes to the ways racism is deeply embedded within a country’s structures, institutions, and policies, not just our individual actions. She started to see systemic racism.
Who’s the creator?
Not a lot is known publicly about Alicia Sprague. Her private Instagram account states: Photographer. Writer. Hiking enthusiast. Bug nerd. Interested in all things equity, justice and liberation. In the article she describes herself as a white, straight, non-trans, middle class woman who grew up in a segregated neighbourhood in the US. The article is hosted by Colorado State University - Inclusive Excellence.
What does it mean to me? (Rena)
I found this article such an interesting read. I agree that kindness goes a long way in life. On World Kindness Day I reflected on the importance of being kind to each other, to myself and to the world. I noted that compassion for others brings people of every kind together. And I thought about how being rude and uncivil has so many negative impacts.
When we think of racists, we think of people saying and doing awful things to others. So, at first the idea of being kind to others sounds like the perfect solution to racism. But I was recently reminded that there is still a misconception that words or acts can only be considered racist if they had malicious or harmful intent. Ignorance is actually the biggest culprit, and the impact on the individual is what determines whether something is racist or not.
Being kind is not enough to solve racism. What one may think is kind, another may find offensive and racist.
The facts and statistics in the article highlight how systems continue to operate in ways that benefit some groups of people over others. This really cemented the need for me to read more and keep learning as part of my journey to being anti-racist. Kindness alone isn’t enough to change behaviours and beliefs, or to create an equitable society. Self-awareness, education and most importantly, action are the answers. When more and more people become self-aware and start to learn about racism and it’s impacts, only then can we start to take things further. Only then can we re-write policies and change the systems.
Suggested reflections
How can you be kind to yourself, to others and to the world?
Can you think of a time when something was said or done, which at face value appeared to be ‘ok’ or ‘kind’, but may have been racist or offensive?
In what ways do organisations take active steps to be anti-racist? How does your workplace ensure it is anti-racist and who is responsible for making it a reality?
The Colorado State University Office of Inclusive Excellence has an active blog, which covers a whole range of inclusion issues including, but not limited to, racism.
Something to watch
Passing - Netflix
What’s the context ?
The term ‘passing’ refers to lighter skinned people of colour passing in society as White.
It also encompasses the practice of members of minority or oppressed races, religions or ethnic groups to be accepted or perceived (to pass) as a member of another.
Historically the term in the US is used to describe a person of colour or of multiracial ancestry who assimilated into the White majority to escape the legal and social conventions of racial segregation and discrimination.
The film, Passing, is a story of two friends, Clare and Irene, who have chosen to take very different paths of racial identity. Both women are Black, having parents or grandparents who were Black, but both are sufficiently light-skinned for White people of similar social class to assume otherwise. A chance encounter in a hotel brings the two women together after 15 years.
Clare has chosen to ‘pass’ as a White middle class woman appearing to be happily married to John, a wealthy White man. However, John is unaware of his own wife’s heritage and is actively racist and hostile towards Black people.
Irene identifies as a Black woman, marries a Black doctor and raises her middle class family in the Black neighbourhood of Harlem, New York.
Their renewed acquaintance ignites a mutual obsession that threatens both of their carefully constructed realities.
Who’s the Creator ?
The screenplay for the Netflix film Passing was adapted by Rebecca Hall (better known as her roles as a British actress) from the 1929 novella, of the same name, by Nella Larson. Nella was born to a Danish immigrant mother and a mixed race (part Danish West Indies) father.
Rebecca : “I came across the novel at a time when I was trying to reckon creatively with some of my personal family history, and the mystery surrounding my biracial grandfather on my American mothers side. In part, making this film is an exploration of that history, to which I’ve never really had access”.
Rebecca has said openly in interviews that her grandfather spent his whole life passing for White.
What does it mean to me? (Nandini)
The concept ‘passing’ was completely new to me.
Irene says in the film “we’re, all of us, passing for something”. This film is not only about race and identity but also about all the different types of passing such as social class, sexual choices and gender stereotypes.
The story is set 100 years ago and I was left wondering whether we have, as a society moved on or whether we still feel uneasy about where we stand in relation to one another.
Suggested reflections
Can you think of a time when you wanted to ‘pass’? When you wanted to conceal or change a part of your identity? If so, what might be your next step towards fully embracing your uniqueness? If not, consider why that may be.
Something to listen to
The Folk Devil Made Me Do It - Code Switch (Spotify, Apple, NPR)
What’s the context?
Throughout 2021 there have been fierce debates in the United States about what children should be taught in school about racism. At least 28 states have sought to restrict education on racism and related topics. This is a backlash against increased awareness of structural racism following the murder of George Floyd, a Black man, by a White police officer in Minneapolis on 25th May 2020.
At the heart of the backlash is a manufactured crisis about “Critical Race Theory” (CRT). Certain Americans claim to be worried that schoolchildren, between the ages of five and 18 years (referred to as K-12), are being “indoctrinated” with CRT. These people believe that CRT “teaches kids to hate our country and to hate each other”, and that it amounts to “state-sanctioned racism”.
CRT started life in American law schools in the 1970s. It is a collection of ideas, which share a common belief in “opposition to oppression”. Many of the thinkers who first formed CRT were Black scholars such as Professor Derrick Bell, Harvard University's first permanently-appointed Black law professor, and Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw. Some of CRT’s core themes are that:
Race is an idea invented by people in society. It is not a biological reality.
Racism is a normal feature of American life. It is not the exception.
Racism is embedded in laws and culture. It is not just the result of individual actions.
However, CRT doesn’t mean that any more. This year, the definition of CRT has been expanded, on purpose, to make it “toxic”. In the public imagination, CRT is now so vague that it encompasses almost any topic that touches on race. CRT has been turned into the “perfect villain”.
Who’s the creator?
Code Switch is hosted by journalists of colour. They present “fearless conversations about race” with “empathy and humor”. Episodes explore how race affects every part of society, from politics and pop culture, to history, food and everything in between. Code Switch was named Apple Podcasts’ first-ever Show of the Year in 2020.
What does it mean to me? (Tom)
This podcast really caught my attention. Why were laws being written to prevent the teaching of a complex set of legal theories to school children? Especially as there was no credible evidence that these theories were even being taught to children in the first place. How had such a frenzy been manufactured? And what could this tell us about how racism operates?
As I explored the story of this manufactured crisis I felt a growing anger, and horrible familiarity. I had seen these tactics before, in the context of domestic abuse.
I worried, as I wrote this piece, that I had lost sight of what is important in an anti-racism campaign. That I had platformed the insidious work of racism, rather than celebrated the efforts of anti-racism. Maybe my time would have been better spent studying, and sharing, the amazing work of Black writers.
But in sharing this podcast we can celebrate the work of journalists of colour who brought this issue so eloquently to our attention. So, I offer this reflection in the belief that exposing and examining the inner workings of racism helps us to see them for what they are, understand them, and ultimately to overcome them.
Suggested reflections
Does discussing race highlight difference and worsen discrimination? Or does it reveal existing discrimination and allow us to rectify it?
How can you advance the cause of anti-racism right now? Where are your energies best placed?
Where have you experienced the tactics on show here? Do you recognise it from your personal life? From our politics?
Some words to ponder
White Privilege
What does it mean to me? (Siv)
The term ‘White Privilege’ continues to divide opinion and spark controversy. So here at EmbRACE we’re going to attempt to dismantle and dispel some of the layers of discomfort that currently cocoon it.
The word ‘Privilege’ evokes images of luxury and unearned wealth; an image the majority of society struggle to identify or relate to. Put ‘White’ in front of ‘Privilege’ and you have the perfect recipe to provoke and divide. It appears to suggest that all White people are wealthy, which we clearly know is not the case.
We can better understand the true meaning of the term by inviting you to answer one simple question:
Do you feel like the colour of your skin has ever held you back in life or caused you to be treated differently because of it?
If the answer to this question is no, then you most likely have White Privilege. In other words, White Privilege is the absence of obstacles and disadvantages which you might encounter if you are a Person of Colour.
White Privilege does not mean you were born into wealth. It doesn’t mean you haven’t struggled in life because of a whole host of other factors. It certainly doesn’t mean you should feel ashamed or guilty. It just means your struggles in life were not down to the colour of your skin.
Psychologist and author, John Amaechi explores White Privilege in this short BBC bite-size video.
He invites us to gain a better understanding of White Privilege by comparing it to Able-bodied Privilege. He asks us to explore what it might feel like to be a wheelchair user who encounters daily difficulties in a society that has been set up for non-disabled people. He explains that White Privilege is no different.
Peggy McIntosh, a feminist scholar and researcher stumbled across White Privilege whilst researching Male Privilege. Her article “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Rucksack” lists examples of her own White Privilege and is a useful list to help us understand what White Privilege looks like in day to day life:
‘I can turn on the television or open the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented’
‘I can be sure that my children will be given curricular materials that testify the existence of their race’
‘I do not have to educate my children to be aware of systemic racism for their own daily physical protection’
‘I can be pretty sure of having my voice heard in a group in which I am the only member of my race’
‘I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed’
‘I can be pretty sure that my neighbours will be neutral or pleasant to me’
‘I can be sure that if I need legal or medical help, my race will not work against me’
Why is it important to recognise White Privilege? Taking steps to acknowledge and understand our own privileges such as those afforded by class, race, gender, and sexuality can help us empathise with the difficulties faced by our colleagues and friends who don’t possess those privileges. It helps us to reach out to support them. We can then go ahead and make systems and structures fairer and more equitable for all.
It’s often easier to notice what we don’t have, so perhaps the best way to appreciate our own privilege(s) might be to put ourselves into the shoes of someone who doesn’t possess that privilege.
Suggested reflections
Take a moment out of your day to appreciate what it might be like to engage in a simple activity such as going to a football match. How do you think a Person of Colour’s experience might differ to that of a White person and why?
Do you have White Privilege? Can you think of any ways in which you might be able to use it to improve the lived experience of People of Colour?
Something to attend
Flourishing Together - Conversation spaces in service of racial justice
People of Colour (Zoom)
Fri 28th January 13.30 – 15.00
Thurs 10th February 11.00 – 12.30
Meeting ID: 817 5389 3864 Passcode: 457886
White people (Zoom)
Thurs 13th January 15.00 – 16.30
Thurs 10th February 13.00 – 14.30
Meeting ID: 889 9060 8905 Passcode: 418771
EmbRACE invite you to attend a "Flourishing Together" session in January or February 2022. These "conversation spaces" are run by senior Organisational Development practitioners with specific competencies in anti-racism; not by members of EmbRACE.
The sessions are open to everyone, so please feel free to share them with anyone you think may benefit.
For People of Colour, the conversation spaces will allow participants to share coping strategies, our contributions within the communities and organisations we are a part of and stories of what is working to support anti-racism. For White people, the conversation spaces will allow us to do our own work of noticing, naming and disrupting the ways that Whiteness is normalised and made normative.
The organisers state:
"We want to facilitate honest, brave and generative conversations, founded on unconditional mutual respect, and an implicit commitment to bring all of who we are. These are spaces for reflection, learning, dialogue, deep listening and inquiry, without blame or shame. Facilitation will offer both challenge and support, in service of us separately and together exploring our vulnerability and growing in our anti-racist knowing, doing and being. We want these conversations to lead to ripples of change in ourselves, our relationships and our systems, in service of racial justice".
"Until now, Flourishing Together offerings have been free to attend. But recognising this as work that matters and should be valued, for the first time, we invite attendees of Flourishing Together sessions to make a financial contribution, in line with their ability to pay. All money raised will be used for bursaries to support under-represented groups to attend the NTL Global OD Certificate Programme, which starts its 15th iteration in May 2022".