Race

Hi all. I’m a bit behind on blogging; I still haven’t written about my friend Elyssa’s visit or about being a resource volunteer at group 44’s PST. But, that can wait. What I feel that I need to write about today is the current state of affairs in the USA and my thoughts. I’ve sat by quietly and followed the current events through news articles and friends’ facebook posts for the past few months, feeling a bit too out of the loop to make any commentary. However, I can’t sit idly anymore. The current state of affairs is way too messed up to keep quiet about.

The institutionalized racism that is clearly rampant in the USA truly is mind-boggling to me. From numerous police shootings of black men to the discrimination against black women (www.revelist.com/viral/Tameka-cross-delta-doctor-discrimination/5240 as one example), it is really unbelievable and out of control. It truly sickens me and shows me how much work we still really have to do as a society to overcome history. I was lucky to grow up with parents who taught me that everyone is equal and that everyone deserves the same opportunities in life. Most importantly, they taught me that you should treat every other human as an equal to yourself—because they are.

Living in Namibia has made race a priority in my mind. As the only white person who has ever lived in our village, it took months for people to stop only calling me oshilumbu—“white person”—and actually start calling me by my name. I’ve been called a racist time and time again for not agreeing to go on dates with every man who asks me out. I’ve repeatedly been treated differently for my race. But the thing that’s so different about being a minority here versus in the States (and that is really hard to swallow) is that I’m a respected minority. I get preferential treatment. Sometimes, I’m called to the front of the line to be helped first. Sometimes, I’m given a seat inside the car while an elder has to sit behind in bed of the pick-up. Sometimes, I’m given a chair while everyone else is sitting on the ground.

Most of the time, I see these opportunities as teachable moments and try to explain that I don’t need to be treated differently than anyone else—“I’m just a person, just like you! Really, I don’t mind sitting on the ground. Let’s sit together.” And I understand why there is still so much racism in Namibia. People’s minds are still “colonized,” as it’s often called here. Namibia is a post-apartheid society where race segregation was enforced from the government (as still is socially today). I understand that it will take time to overcome government-enforced racism.

But why is this still happening in the USA? Slavery was abolished in 1865. Over 150 years ago. Many, many generations ago. Why are we, as a society, still holding on to ideas of racial and religious superiority? And why are we letting such a bigoted man take center stage in this political race? That’s not really a topic I want to delve into in this post, but I will say that Trump’s bigoted and hateful speech is only augmenting the situation. Hell, there’s a new trending hashtag on Twitter that is #repealthe19th, referring to the 19^th amendment that gave women the right to vote, because a study was released that if only men were voting, Trump would have an overwhelming victory. And guess what? WOMEN ARE USING IT TOO! This election has made it abundantly clear that American society still has a long way to come in terms of gender equality as well. The fact that an inexperienced, hateful man can be taken seriously against a highly-qualified, intelligent, respectful woman is mind-boggling. (Well, I didn’t think I wanted to talk about politics in this post, but apparently I did!)

Blagh. ANGRY BLAGH. That’s how I feel about all of this. The social environment allowing for systemic racism in America makes me so upset and so sad. I can’t begin to comprehend what it must be like to be a black American in the US today, but know that it moves me to tears to try to imagine it. I’m sitting here in my flat, writing this post, crying for every black American. It is so unjust.

What can we do to start breaking all of this down? It’s hard to even know where to start. Personally, I’ve become extremely open to talking about race and the baggage that is attached to it and I think that’s the first step to combating this problem—acknowledging its existence and talking about it. I frequently engage in conversations about race these days. And when people say something demonstrating a “colonial” mindset, I question them and try to understand (and challenge) their viewpoint. I don’t know what else I can do at this point. But know that I am an ally for #blacklivesmatter. In order for all lives to matter, black lives must matter first.

As I’ve been here in Namibia, there’s a Swahili word that has come up time and time again: Ubuntu. Ubuntu loosely translates to “I am because we are” or “humanity towards others.” It’s such a beautiful word that encompasses so much of what I believe to be true about the interconnectedness of all people. So, my friends and family, may we all have a bit more ubuntu in our lives and keep the spirit of the word alive in our hearts, our heads, our words, and our actions.