A Hard Pill to Swallow
Sep 07, 2022No radical changes are going to happen in the drive for fairness for ethnic minorities in the workplace, if people do not discuss skin colour.
So often, I find there is resistance to even just describe people based on the colour of the skin, when often that is the easiest route to take (of course without being rude).
“Can you see the gentleman over there in the white t-shirt?” Err which one?
“All the non-English people.” You mean the Asian people?
“Those people have such an interesting culture.” Which people exactly?
If I had a pound for every time, I heard someone avoid using obvious words to describe people based on skin colour, I could retire.
I get it, society (mainly White) has been so reluctant to talk about race (an arbitrary classification of human based on physical features), because of the difficult histories we share and because racism continues to cause much harm). Plus no one wants to be labelled ‘racist’. Never mind the fact that race is a social construct! No wonder people get themselves tied in knots.
May I suggest something?
Take the time to study your own racial identity. Most (but not all) ethnic minorities need to do this (to some degree) to understand why they face racism. But most White people do not. Mainly because we have been conditioned to see White as normal and everyone else as abnormal.
You MUST read about the Stages of Racial Identity Development. This framework is fascinating and offers a way for us all to better get to know ourselves and develop empathy for others.
Image: (Integrated Model John and Joy Hoffman)
Like seriously, if we all studied this in school, I’m confident racism would be greatly reduced and that talking about skin colour would be easy for everyone!
The truth that can be distilled from studying your racial identity is:
- We are all fallible human beings
- We are all governed by a system that dictates how we see others who look different to us based on skin colour
- There are strong emotions attached to the stages of racial identity awareness
- It is possible to get to the ideal stage, ‘integrated awareness’ where we know and accept ourselves and others as equal.
Do you know how much this excites me?
So how do you move forward? Read more about developing your racial identity. I also recommend “The Racial Healing Handbook” by Annaliese Singh.
Dr Martin Luther King said “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.”
Let us all use our ability to think for ourselves and provide our own education on who we are to create a better society.
Okay, I’m stepping down from my pulpit. I just wanted to present this knowledge gem because I think it holds the answers to many of the problems associated with talking about skin colour and racism.
So, to sum up…
When it comes to skin colour…
- Talk about it, this validates experiences
- Know that it’s important as it dictates how someone is treated
- If you’re White, you do not have to face systemic racism, so this may be difficult to understand
- Learn about your own racial identity to understand the psychology of race and racism
If all this has intrigued you and you want to know more, enrol yourself (and your staff) onto our online CPD accredited Understanding Microaggressions – the subtle racism course. It breaks down why not talking about skin colour (and many other statements and acts) are often harmful and invalidating for ethnic minorities, and how to manage difficult conversations.
As always, I wish you nothing but the best on this journey.
Take care
Rebbecca your ‘creating cultural harmony’ guide.
P.S. If you have already read this link, here it is again. Trust me, it’s potentially life changing for you.
Talking about racism can seem difficult and uncomfortable. This CPD accredited course provides a foundational education on racism to help to increase racial literacy which includes building confidence to speak about and deal with issues concerning race. It provides a language through which meaningful conversation can take place (particularly in the workplace).
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