One of the most disturbingly racist things I’ve ever heard while talking to other white, western #aidworkers was in a discussion about children’s rights:
“Well, Ethiopians don’t want their children anyway.”
My heart stopped. Rage flooded my system. I could feel my entire body tense. I honestly don’t know what words I managed to spit out, but I rebuffed her immediately, and broken-heartedly.
I was asked in an interview recently what people working in international aid, philanthropy, social innovation can/should do when they encounter racism. Over the past year, I’ve suggested four ways to fight racism institutionally with Rashida Peterson in The Guardian and five ways to fight racism individually on how-matters.org.
In that interview and right here, however, there is just one way I suggest now: Speak up.
Yes, everyone has good intentions. I’m over that. They do not trump straight up racism. (And yes, I used that verb intentionally.)
In the U.S., we have elected officials like Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) stating publicly that some of the migrant parents don’t want their children back. This is being used by the administration to justify their unwillingness to unify families. This is not just a conservative talking point. This is a blatant attempt to mobilize their base and further dehumanize “Mexican” and Central American people (all the while continuing to erase stories of Black and African immigrants in the current narratives).
By saying what may seem so unbelievable to my ears, whether it be a fellow aid worker or a U.S. Congressperson, deeply rooted racism is framing the issue. Whether it is poverty or disease or violence or ICE agents, those who want to turn away from the atrocities of family separation (and their role in it) are given permission to deny people’s dignity.
Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
There is a social media post now going around where an ICE medic is talking about how he is “caring” for these poor kids, who are ill or abused or trafficked. This is blatant savior-ism imbued in the denial of fundamental human dignity, something we do-gooders may not want to admit we’ve experienced or seen, but know all too well.
We may not personally be able to stop state-sponsored violence tomorrow, but we can make changes – right now – within our teams, programs, organizations, foundations, agencies, social enterprises, funds, etc. We can make sure that we address our own hypocrisy and are doing everything we can to address racism, all -isms, and implicit bias in all that we do. This includes very concrete actions. These include:
- making different hiring and promotion decisions,
- learning the difference between diversity and inclusion,
- learning about dominant white culture and how it shows up in organizations and our day-to-day work,
- funding front-line community organizers (but only if we’re ready to get out of their way),
- continually recreating our work as we learn, and
- daring to redefine the notion of results and accountability – no longer just for our funders or boards.
When it comes to where we can immediately exert our influence and power on a daily basis, there is only one one way I know how: Speak up.
It may not be pretty. You may not say it “perfectly.” There may be consequences.You will find out you are not alone. Feathers will be ruffled.
Feathers need to be ruffled.
“Apply your oxygen mask first before helping others.” If us international do-gooders have learned nothing from all those plane rides around the world, let it be this: By speaking up, at least we can save our own soul.
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As a black woman in global development, this resonates with me. Thanks for the reminder – we must speak up….even if our voice shakes