Last week a few friends told me that all Black hair products were being put on clearance at a large chain store, another visible way that Black businesses were being hurt and sidetracked. Had I not been sharing a meal with them I would have never heard about this small act that was sending a big message.
Our conversation reminded me of one I had earlier with a fellow Quaker who said that whenever a white Friend asks her, “What can I do in solidarity with the Black community?”, she always says, “Well, when you talk with your Black friends just pay attention to what’s going on for them and act there.”
She then laughed, and said, “The thing is that most white people don’t have Black friends. They might have Black subordinates, or acquaintances, but they’re not peers.”
As someone who grew up in a predominantly Mexican part of the US it took time to start meeting Black people and developing friendships. Yet, living in Long Beach and my love of dancing expanded my circle to include Black friends. My introduction to racism was through other’s experience once we had formed enough intimacy for them to share and for me to ask.
I have been shielded from racism thanks to my white skin and native English. Both of these things were given to me with no effort on my part.
The effort was made by my mother who had me switched into English only classes, even though I cried and hated not being able to talk with while I learned a foreign tongue.
The effort was also made by my grandmother and those before her who consistently went for whiter skins to “mejorar la raza” or improve the race, as was dictated by the Spanish colonists.
Reaching out Across Experiences
While the new administration is decimating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, it cannot dictate what happens in our private lives and in our private thoughts. This month and every month I urge you to be humble and learn about other’s experiences. I urge you to inquire into why your experience is different. I urge you to know that an infringement on anyone’s rights is a signal that an infringement on you and those you love is right around the corner.
Four hundred years ago the philosopher Benedictus de Spinoza wrote that in a society where the strongest is always on top, we create dangerous in-fighting, power grabs, and deceit. For some people this is the only world they know or that they even think is possible.
For myself I know that a world where we each stand side by side is more full of joy, love, and expression. Moving back to Mexico has felt like a reclamation of a pride that my family rejected as they slowly inched their way to the US. In the photo above I am standing next to my dad at a home built by Luis Barragan, one of the most widely celebrated Mexican architects to date.
I am grateful that my mother introduced me to Korean food even before I could speak English, planting a seed of cultural and food curiosity that I continue to enjoy.
I am grateful that my grandmother loves all of her grandchildren regardless of our varied skin tones, even though as a family we’ve struggled with colorism.
I am grateful that even though Google has removed diversity related holidays like Black History Month and International Women’s Day from their official calendar, we each can decide to honor experiences and cultures different from that which we grew up in.
Here are a few ideas on what to do next:
- Support Black businesses and Black entrepreneurs
- Read The Color of Money by Mehrsa Baradaran
- Listen and learn from Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II who is continuing Dr. Martin Luther King’s work on the Poor People Campaign to create class solidarity
- Donate to people impacted by last month’s fires in Los Angeles. Check out the list compiled by Gigi over at Progressive Pockets for organizations to support.
In solidarity,
Diana Gisel Yañez
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