This is not a new one but, unfortunately, it’s a phrase that tends to stick, regardless of the countless attempts to guide those using it.
There are some very fortunate individuals who have the privileged stance, when approached on matters about ‘race’ and racism against black or other racialised people, who utter the words, “I don’t see ‘race’/ I don’t see you as [black]/ I just think of you as my … [insert chosen term of perceived affiliation or affection here]”. Now, the thing is, this is an absolutely valid truth to some, at least as far as what they construe as ‘seeing’. People who may have grown up over decades, experiencing life in such a way that they are not troubled by matters of ‘race’. Whether it be because their community was or was not multicultural, and of such an elevated state of cohesion that ‘race’ was never weaponised (to their knowledge or perception); or simply that they have not encountered racism (again, in accordance with knowledge or perception). Either way, this affable state is dangerous. ‘Why so serious, it’s not that deep?’ you might ask. Well, it can be, so let’s break it down …
The issue
Put simply, such individuals are living in a permanent state of illusion. Part of their illusory truth is such that they are effectively denying an integral part of any one racialised person. It’s always important to consider the individual (homogeneity aside). If you look at someone and say you do not see their ‘race’ (and yes, we are all part of one race, the human race, but let’s relate this to the imposed, sense-destroying construct we have all come to know in very recent history), you are effectively erasing a core aspect of their experience in the world. You are failing to acknowledge that the person you may hold so dearly (or not) is likely to be viewed differently by many people they encounter during their lifetime as a direct result of their heritage. Of course, that literally applies to everyone in some way, but in parts of the world where the Western lens lingers as supreme, racialised people can and have been negatively impacted. You are naively dismissing the powerful impact their ancestry has on the way they navigate the world. You are erasing a fundamental facet of their being. You are living in a dream state and failing to function with your eyes wide open, seeking clarity through the lived experience of others, beyond your own conventions.
Heavy stuff, right! Yes indeed. But it need not be a sticking point.
When someone expresses the notion of being blind to ‘colour’, it can often cause frustration due to the above and many more complexities, including relational aspects of the individuals involved in the exchange. The key, I humbly offer, is to try and bridge the gap of ignorance. Pride can often make us defensive when we hear that dirty “I” word. No one likes to think of themself as ignorant but I’m going to tell you a secret … WE ALL ARE. Every person on this planet is ignorant of something. Granted, some levels of ignorance may seem more palatable than others, but that will always be a matter of perspective. Having reached the current state of flux though, if you are ignorant to aspects of the black and wider global majority experience, it’s time to slap that ego aside, own your ignorance and acknowledge both the beauty and beast of ‘racial’ difference, as it has been created, and so now exists. (All this and we’re not even going to touch on assumptions about heritage because of personal aesthetics, we’ll save that for another post).
For both those whose culture, heritage and life journey is denied by not being fully seen or acknowledged, and those whose illumination is pending, engagement in Green Space™ empathetic philosophy is helpful. This is not to say that frustration and even anger of the former is unwarranted – it’s just a matter of how long we wish to stay in that place, or productively use the impact of our valid emotions and transcend to the next stage for progress. Recently, if you have decided to engage in literature/ media/ conversations about ‘race’, you may repeatedly hear about how tiring it is for black people to have to explain aspects of racism and their experiences. It is starkly obvious when you are living it! We still reside in a white, CIS gender, heteronormative world (of course, we don’t really, but marginalisation is such that we would be led to believe this is the case). Anyone belonging to a different club is only too aware of the systems, policies, structures, and behaviours that perpetuate the marginalisation of those deemed “other”. The irony is that, regarding black people, some who see us as such actually comprise the global minority.
Anyway, I digress – back to the point about frustration. It’s having to explain what is not only obvious and apparent, but possibly what you have lived through and continue to live every single day. When a white friend, for example, says, “I don’t see you as black”, it can create a moment of dread and disappointment. One where, even though you’ve never had conversations about ‘race’, you thought as one of ‘your people’ that they were more on point than that. It can also make you feel a bit sad – sad that you now feel the need to have a discussion about their lack of awareness and sad that you live in a world where this is an issue in the first place!
If you walk into a club or other social establishment with a black friend and they are searched but you are not (and you are not black), and/or the security staff have a more aggressive attitude toward them, your lack of awareness of the way the world treats them, because of their ‘colour’, can mean such instances will go completely unnoticed. You may not realise security is only following them when you walk into a store. You might not clock looks of derision or racist comments from people around you. Therefore, you are not activated to be anti-racist and can end up being blindly compliant with the unacceptable behaviours exhibited in your environment. This is just in reference to the personal side of things. If you’re inactive here, bet your yard you’ll be the same in the professional sphere.
So, if the instance arises for any readers who are non-global majority when they use the opening words of this article, or similar, to a global majority person in their life, in whatever capacity they may be, please take pause and accept that it is time to learn. What you see cannot be believed because you may have seen equality, you may have seen simply “your friend” but that is a powerfully dismissive perspective. And yes, the individual is not just their ‘race’ – they may not even heavily place aspects of their identity with their ‘race’ – just as some do not with regards to gender, sexuality or their job, but the absolute, truth still remains: because of their racialised bodies – because of the colour of their skin they cannot hide in plain sight in this world, nor do they need to. There is an extensive history that comes with them – one that is redacted and reduced to footnotes and, with regards to black people specifically, their contributions to the development of this world have been purposely, systematically erased until most of which that is noted in popular media, until too recently, is slavery.
After the moment of denial, it’s then time to recognise this flawed perspective. A conversation needs to take place – maybe an apology as opposed to an excuse (#accountability anyone?). I’m not saying everything then must be about their ‘race’ – this is a leap lots of people take in relation to these matters. No, you just need to see them in their entirety and if you have children, ensure they see people in their entirety too – we are actually doing young people a disservice if not making them aware of the injustices around them – regardless of whether they are the targets of said injustices. We can explain how silly they are, how unfair, how absolutely absurd, but what are you saying if you don’t clock it yourself?
In conclusion (for now)
Our societal structures are not fair – there would be equality of race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, the eradication of ableism and xenophobia if it were. People of the various faiths, and of none, would mind their own business and live the love decreed in the poetic verses of their holy book of choice. We must seek to become increasingly aware of the experiences of people who are “not like us” on the surface and beyond. If not, we run the risk of being blind to racism and the marginalisation they are subject to (subtle racism, micro aggression, systematic, institutional) and that, my friend, is a weak stance!
“Not seeing” a person can render you an ineffective ally. How can you be actively anti-racist if you can’t see ‘race’? Effectively, if you are not prepared to see it, you are not equipped to address racism, how it may inhabit you and others, and therefore cannot affect any real change within your circle of influence.
Until our next post, Love and Light!
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