Reportback Atlanta Nextdoor Tuesday Zoom Gathering “What Will White Womyn Do To End Racism?”

Today’s zoom gathering was attended by six womyn: one Black womon, 5 white womyn; one from New Jersey, four living full-time in the neighborhood, and one part-time. We all expressed the hope that more of our especially white womyn neighbors, and even more especially those in the Racism Awareness Group on Next Door will jump on the call next Tuesday evening.

Some of the topics we discussed included (but not limited to) the following:

·       Anti-Black racism: Being more specific about racism thru embracing the term “anti-black” racism to recognize and acknowledge that although all people of color experience racism benefiting all white people and institutions, Black people have and do experience racism at the extreme end of the racism ‘skin color’ continuum and that racism impacts Black people in ways unique and absent against other people of color. And on the other side of that coin, white people have built, inflicted, and maintained racism against Black people to an extreme and unique degree that is absent toward other peoples of color: anti-Jewish racism, anti-Indigenous racism, anti-immigrant racism, anti-Hispanic racism, anti-Asian racism, even though they spring from the same white supremacist and dominance base, all manifest in different ways and extents. In addition, anti-Blackness has been exported all around the world as white people colonized and genocided nation after nation and has been adopted here as well enabling and supporting non-Black people to hold and exhibit bigoted anti-Black feelings and actions.

·       Personal Racism Awareness vs Institutional Structural Actions: we will attempt to do both in our zoom group: continuously work on increasing and deepening white awareness and consciousness of racism personally, historically, and presently; as well as strategize especially how white people can use white privilege and power to dismantle institutional/structural/systemic racism. An example of racism institutionalized in housing: the multitude of laws, practices, ways in which housing is overtly and covertly, historically and presently, denied to Black people while handed out to white people.

·       “Normalizing” the racism conversation with and among white people: white people traditionally, historically, and presently have a hard time discussing racism. We want to make it a ‘normal’, every day conversation so the talk can turn into action.

·       Enemy of white people come hero: Hero John Lewis was the ‘enemy’ of white people who beat, jailed, humiliated, inflicted violence against him, then by the end of his life he is revered and respected. Hero Colin Kaepernick villainized and fired 3 years ago, and this week many sports teams knelt in solidarity with his action against racism. (The WNBA took it a step further and walked off the floor during the national anthem!)

·       True history of Black people – and white people: we, especially white people, do not know the true history of white people nor the true history of Black people in this country, but we do know a lot of lies, myths, propaganda. Part of white people becoming anti-racist is educating ourselves, separating myth and propaganda from truth and fact, being clear about the ways in which white people have become powerful, and knowing the legal, cultural, institutional extents to which Black people have been persecuted, imprisoned, murdered, and denied the 'amerikkkan dream' in this country. Blackpast.org and “Seeing white” are two resources, plus both Babs and Turtle have posted educational resources on NextDoor. How to educate white people who don’t want to be educated or think they already are ‘woke’.

·       Family members and NextDoor neighbors: How to address blatant racism expressed by family members (the most difficult challenge) and on NextDoor (WITHOUT getting kicked off); how to inspire more of the 500+ neighbors specifically part of the Racism Awareness Group to participate in our zoom gatherings. Perhaps a different format as web page or Liker program…

Suggested topics on the table for next week’s August 4^th, Tuesday 6pm zoom gathering:

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·       How do white people sustain the commitment to anti-racism actions over the long run

·       “Peaceful”, “positive” triggers or innocent descriptors?

·         Determining the ‘right’ Black Lives Matter group to contribute to/support

·       “White Identity”: is there such a thing? is “white” an identity to embrace or reject? is it even possible to decide to reject white identify? 

·       What are you doing that's working? What are you doing that is making a difference?