Transcript:
Years go by and structural racism keeps on haunting society, pretty much everywhere on the Planet. One question: When white people keep passively inhabiting a world of white privileges, without actively engaging in anti-racism actions, isn’t this a form of racism?
My name is Camille, you’re listening to Cosmic Dynamics, 5 min of exploration on art, change & the music of the universe.
It’s like the narrative of violence, repressive governments - or those oppressing in general, passive and active - have a very convenient definition of violence it seems. Sadly, in most communities around the world, this definition shapes what is considered “common sense”. The one oppressing typically refers to violence as "the use of physical force so as to injure, abuse, damage, or destroy." In best case scenarios, there is an acknowledgement that “the use of power, threatened or actual” can be considered violence if it’s used against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, if it either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation. That’s how the World Health Organization is defining it for instance.
How about symbolic violence? Exhibiting extreme wealth in the face of poor communities for instance - isn’t this a form of violence we should put in everyone’s dictionary? Are athletes and cultural influencers willing to tone down the social media bling bling? What about when people in positions of power have access to information, knowledge, facts highlighting the extreme vulnerability of a community, and choose to do nothing about it. Isn’t this violent behavior? What if I am staying passive in the face of a discrimination issue directly affecting my community, my industry, my sector? Isn’t this a form of violence?
There is a parallel here with what is considered to be racism - and it's striking. Most of us inhabiting the white privilege society do not consider ourselves to be racist, because, like with violence, we are still stuck with an old narrative of what racism is… and for many people it’s very convenient. It’s like “I haven’t punched someone in the face, therefore I am not a violent person.” Reframing the narratives of violence is as necessary and urgent as redefining the narratives of racism. In culture, in daily life, in politics, in the law.
The more we educate people about what structural racism is + the more awareness we build about how it works and how we are all part of it, the quicker it will become unacceptable to stay passive in the face of it.
For the art piece of the day, I wanted to recall the work of Paul Rucker in 2018 at an inaugural show entitled “Declaration” at the Institute for Contemporary Art in Richmond.
52 mannequins arranged in an “X” wearing multi-colored Ku Klux Klan robes that he made.
“They’re in different colors, pink, green, and fabrics ranging from Kente cloth to spandex, meant to show the changing form of systemic and structural racism.” Take a look, it’s quite a disturbing image, illustrating very well what’s still going on in most countries on the planet, in different shapes and forms obviously.
What does structural racism look like in your area? How much are you talking about it? And what active anti-racist actions are you planning ?
