Reading “Anti-Racist” Books Won’t Help You (if):

the necessity of self-awareness to guide your efforts towards allyship

“In order for non-violence to work, your opponent must have a conscious.” — Kwame Ture

There are a plethora of videos that show police abusing their power and consistently applying higher forms of unnecessary force on African Americans without reason. Recent graphic murders of Ahmaud Arbery (R.I.P), Breonna Taylor (R.I.P), Tony McDade (R.I.P) and George Floyd (R.I.P) have gone viral and are sparking people to take action. It is appalling that viral videos of African Americans being killed are propelling people to want to be part of a movement that has been continuously doubted and criticized. What does this delayed support say about our societies’ collective moral conscience?

The video of George Floyd’s death is undeniably powerful: it is impossible to argue that he was resisting arrest. From overtly racist people and Blue Lives Matter supporters to passive left-leaning liberals, and moderate democrats — none of these groups can use tenants of covert racism to dismiss the excessive force used on a man that again, was not resisting arrest. Moreover, bystanders watched George Floyd communicate repeatedly that he felt his life slipping out of his hands with no reaction from any of the responding police officers.

Covert racism is subtle and often disguised in a society’s social norms. Within the context of police brutality and the Black Lives Matter Movement, covert racism looks like:

• providing excuses for authority
• putting blind faith in a flawed system
• normalizing African American death
• avoiding confrontation
• not believing African Americans when they seek support
• expecting praise for doing the bare minimum i.e making posts, reading books, admitting privilege…

As per usual, white people and non-black people of color are spurred to action by reading, posting on social media and some, actively protesting. There is nothing wrong with these methods of support — but they are largely performative or ineffective aka don’t get shi* done.

Listen, some of the most effective allies were not formally educated, had no social media nor did they have the privilege to even attempt protesting.

• Harriet Tubman, a former slave in the US South traveled approximately 13 (thirteen) times to free slaves: “I have heard their groans and sighs, and seen their tears, and I would give every drop of blood in my veins to free them.”
• Zura Karuhimbi, a Rwandan woman of older age during the Rwandan genocide against the Tutsis, saved more than 100 (one hundred) people, including the life of Rwandan’s current president, Paul Kagame: “I used to say, If they die, I will also die.”
• Freddie and Truus Oversteegen were two teenagers who, as a part of the resistance; hung posters, passed out fliers and killed Nazis during the WWII genocide of European Jews: “It was a necessary evil, killing those who betrayed the good people.”

These courageous women understood that their lives were not more valuable than the lives of others and the concept of sacrifice as a choice towards a greater good.

To be an activist or ally, or more simply a better global citizen, sacrifice is nothing but a wager towards the ultimate goal— it is not a loss. Purpose driven leaders can’t imagine living without liberty for all and readily risk their lives for and in unison with those who are being negatively targeted. Successful leaders live with an active conscious — a strong moral compass that guides their actions to instinctively do that which benefits a greater good.

Today, some people in our society think the best way to begin their activism is to read influential books. Yes, books are transformative, informational and necessary but if you are saying statements like, “I am not black so…” or “…it takes time, I am learning…,” you are possibly deprived of empathy and lack urgency towards the humanity of others.

Empathy calls for understanding as action and “…vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the experience fully communicated in an explicit manner.”

Empathy is a superpower, possessed by each of the fearless women above. They had an opportunity to keep themselves safe and out of harm’s way; however, they could not live knowing they had the capacity to help another’s suffering.

A dedicated ally, activist and above all — a more decent friend, must develop some form of empathy. In order to have empathy you must have self awareness. As defined by Positive Psychology, self awareness “…is the ability to see yourself clearly and objectively through reflection and introspection.” Easier said than done.

This level of self awareness is not developed from books, films, or live footage alone. To achieve high levels of empathy and self awareness you must sit with yourself and begin to heal the ugliest parts of your persona; if you are not healing you are likely spreading guilt, apathy, indecisiveness and self-pity to the very people who are seeking strong allyship from you. My father always warns me,

“… it only takes one desperate moment to choose fear and kill the person you once broke bread with.”

In the rare case you that you are a person who cannot develop empathy, you probably have a high level of self awareness and objectivity compared to the average person. Use that strength to call out situations and to be proactive without needing to feel a certain way first.

So, keep reading books, watching films and discussing — but most importantly start healing your own wounds.

Instead of claiming the acceptance of your privilege on social media, why not write an open apology to someone you have oppressed (with their permission).

And if you reflect you will likely realize you have traumatized, abused, offended, gaslit…someone in your life — tell them sorry.

In order to be an “ally” and more importantly just a more concious + actively compassionate person, you need to pursue a high level of self awareness. Begin doing your work by healing and developing your own empathy so much so that you feel a sense of discomfort when you are not actively supporting your fellow citizens on this planet.

Ask yourself, are you avoiding action by blaming a prejudiced system or are you holding colleagues, organizations, and authority accountable? Do you know what accountability looks like, or are you more invested in proving your moral superiority over othetd. Are you claiming indifference instead of taking a stand that may force you to make a personal sacrifice? Nobody needs another half-as*, spineless ally with an impressive array of vocabulary, resources and hashtags. I suggest these reflections as someone who personally uses them, I by no means am pointing the finger.

We need action: compassionate actions, evolution of self asks for accountability that come out of belief for progress, equity and equality for all.

Radical love:

“…it is the most militant, most radical intervention anyone can make to not only speak of love, but to engage in the practice of love…love as the foundation of all social movements for self-determination is the only way we create a world that domination and dominator thinking cannot destroy. Anytime we do the work of love we are doing the work of ending domination.”

-bell hooks, All About Love