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I did not participate in #BlackOutTuesday . While the spirit underlying it is commendable, I do not think you can enhance your awareness of such a complex and difficult issue by sharing a black screen.
I did not participate in #BlackOutTuesday . While the spirit underlying it is commendable, I do not think you can enhance your awareness of such a complex and difficult issue by sharing a black screen.
Rather, I challenge every person and every institution who made a statement declaring their anti-racism this week to reflect on systematic patterns of how black people and other under-represented minorities are weaved into the fabric of their personal and professional lives.
I have lived in Canada for 23 years. Outside of law enforcement (which is a large group that extends beyond police), I have VERY RARELY experienced direct acts of overt racism from individuals in a predictable manner i.e. when they occur they tend to be sporadic and infrequent.
My experience does not reflect that of most black people - I am male, cis-gender and privileged to have accessed tools of self-determination and social mobility. I also work in academia, in medicine, and in Toronto which are all areas with liberal/ progressive values and agendas
BUT racism often manifests in subtle and indirect ways, even in most liberal settings. It is rarely the occurrence of negative acts but a systematic absence of positive acts. It is rarely a knee to the neck but often is oblivion to the need for help and lack of desire to support
My professional and social networks are disproportionately well off. My friends and colleagues are fortunate to be in highly desirable circumstances. So instead of a black screen, I challenge you to think about who shares these highly desirable spaces with you?
Toronto is ~10% black. What is their % in your neighborhoods, your grocery stores, your social clubs, your childcare centres, your children's schools? What is the proportion of black people in the areas of your life that are most exclusive and most desirable?
My physician friends, what % of your colleagues are black? Now think about how many are in more desirable fields in medicine. Are they in academia? Competitive specialties? Do they access scare resources /lucrative procedures equitably? How many are div'n or dept chiefs/ heads?
My friends in science, how many of your colleagues are black? How many are considered luminaries in their field? How often are they invited for presentations or editorials? When was the last time a black scientist delivered a keynote at the leading conference in your field?
My friends in law, what % of your colleagues are black? How many are in lucrative fields (eg corp) as opposed to legal aid, social advocacy, criminal law? How many are in prestigious firms ? Are they progressing equally on the partner track? How many had to open their own shops?
My friends, many of whom are extremely successful - think about how frequently you have received a hand up in your ascension to where you are now. I am sure you have repaid that kindness to your junior colleagues. I challenge you to reflect on their ethnicity/ gender/ sexuality.
Upon reflecting, what is the % of black people in these desirable settings? 10%? 1%? It is often closer to 0.1%, even 0.01% in settings that are hardest to access. This cannot be explained by random statistical variation: it reflects a strong and consistent bias against us.
So instead of a black screen or social media post, I challenge you to reflect on systematic patterns of how black people and other under-represented minorities are weaved into the fabric of your lives and your institutions. If it is not equitable, I challenge you to take action.
I write this because I know that most people in my life have good hearts, mean well and want to do right. I trust you to take this in the positive spirit I wrote it with. To the those who gave me a hand up, I thank you from the bottom of my heart - I know how rare it is.
