Some black leaders that are being elevated now not done the requisite racial identity/ trauma work to speak well on this issue. We talk a lot about how white supremacy affects white people, but we over look the collateral damage that being in whiteness has on black folks.
What I mean is that people in a lot of industries and disciplines are turning to the black people in the room for answers, but some of those folks are only just now starting to unpack their own stuff. The token black folks sometimes struggle to talk about race.
A lot of people who are the “only” or “token” black in their sphere of influence got to those spaces by actively suppressing g their blackness. Now white people are asking them to lead.
And a lot of these folks haven’t done the work to recognize their internalized racism, white supremacy, misogynoir, etc.
When this happens, you can expect people who haven’t done the work to make mistakes and to default to their training to keep white folks comfortable.
I am someone who has an embodied black identity, but I spent a lot of time in proximity to whiteness because I grew up in the rural Midwest and went to college in a white city. I have to actively work to pay attention to how whiteness works in situations that I’m in.
Because my default setting is to protect myself from white relational violence. The impulse is for me to keep white folks comfy so I can stay safe.
Other black folks who are in white spaces have different impulses...
Other black folks who are in white spaces have different impulses...
For example, there are some folks who default to white is right. They won’t challenge what white people say because they default to white authority.
There are other folks who default to protecting white people. This usually comes from internalized anti-blackness. They protect because protecting whiteness ensures their place.
There’s more I can say, but that’s enough for now. My main point is that we’re gonna start seeing a lot of black peoples making public mistakes. We have to teach our own people.
