Why do reparations trigger fear in the hearts of so many white people? (#ThreeFifthsMagazine)
To answer this question, I need to first talk about power, and more specifically, the fear of losing power. I have had to do my own serious unpacking around power and fear. In doing so, I found myself having to work through some very shameful biases and narratives that I was holding onto. When I used to try to conjure up an image of a world in which BIPOC held the institutional and structural power that is held by white people, I pictured BIPOC treating white people the very same way we have treated them. Those imaginings left me with fear; fear of facing some serious payback and retribution.
This scenario is based on the white supremacist, hierarchical power over system that we currently exist in; a system where whites are on top and BIPOC are at the bottom. It had never occurred to me that there could be another way of looking at power, a way of looking that was more humane. In her book, Powerarchy, Melanie Joy, PhD defines power as “the capacity or ability to influence others, oneself, or events to bring about desired outcomes… when we have power, we are able to exert our will in order to get what we want.” She separates systems of power into two models: power over and power with. I believe that our (white people’s) fears are based on a power over model. In this model, “power is used to exert dominance and control over others; those in power place their interests over the interests of others; power is used to get what the power holder wants, to serve their own ends, without regard for the interests of others; there is a disregard or violation of others interests and rights” (Melaine Joy, PhD). On the other hand, there is the power with model. This model “reflects and reinforces the belief that all individuals are equal in inherent worth and are equally deserving of being treated with justice and compassion. This model is organized around behaviors that reflect core moral values such as compassion and justice; practicing what we preach” (Melanie Joy, PhD).
I have come to see the power with model as an antidote or counternarrative to the fear of losing power, payback and retaliation. In this model, everyone gets a piece of the pie because there is enough pie to go around. I think we white folks live in fear (conscious and unconcious) that “our things” (stuff, money, power, land, privileges) will be taken from us if we start down the road of reparations and power sharing. The brilliant show Atlanta had an episode in its third season titled “The Big Payback',' which was based on this fear. As an example, one of the white male characters, Marshal, is visited by a black woman named Sheniqua Johnson, who is suing him because his family owned her ancestors. She enters his house by herself, live-streams and demands $3 million. I think that many of us white people really believe and fear that this is what reparations would look like.
This belief is what holds us back from making real social justice changes. I believe that Reparations are one of the ways we can begin to level the playing field, but this will never happen if white folks continue to believe in the zero sum paradigm. It's this all or nothing fallacy that strikes fear in the hearts of white people. This paradigm is based on the idea of winners and losers, not shared power and resources. The idea is so deeply entrenched in white supremacy culture that we don’t always recognize it at play. Most BIPOC are not interested in taking away what white people have, only in having the same for themelves. I don’t think that is too much to ask for, do you? This country was literally built on the backs of BIPOC. We have stolen and profited off of their bodies, their labor, their ideas, their land and we have tried to steal their dignity and crush their souls.
Our fear is holding us captive and keeping us all from healing.
Additionally, we white people have a long history of biting off our noses to spite our faces. In her book, The Sum of Us, Heather McGee writes about white folks draining city pools rather than integrating them. She says, “It was more baffling to me how that threat could feel so menacing that these white people would resist policies that could benefit them just because they might also benefit people of color… progress for one group is seen as an automatic threat to another.”
This is one of the costs of white supremacy ideals. In conclusion, when we refuse to unpack them they continue to fuel our misguided fears and get in the way of building real racial equity and collective liberation. I now understand that my own fears came out of deep seated and misguided ideas and biases about power sharing. This poem by Nayyirah Waheed reminds me that there can be another way.
“If we wanted to, people of color could burn the world down for what we have experienced, are experiencing but we don't’ - how stunningly beautiful that our sacred respect for the earth, for life is deeper than our rage.”
See you on the journey,
Robin
My July article for Three-Fifths Magazine “Filling up the emptiness”: https://threefifths.online/2023/07/08/filling-up-the-emptiness/
People’s Institute of Survival and Beyond (PISAB) September and October 2023 Trainings: ”Undoing Racism and Community Organizing Workshop”: https://pisab.org/workshops-in-your-area/
Wokeness, White Allyship, and Respect: Why self declarations and niceness are inadequate responses to white body supremacy by Resmaa Menakem
Powerarchy: Understanding the Psychology of Oppression for Social Transformation by Melanie Joy, PhD - https://bookshop.org/search?keywords=powerarchy(purchase from a Black-owned bookstore)
Melanie Joy, Ph.D youtube video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EA_TJz5riU
The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee (purchase from a Black-owned book store): https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-sum-of-us-what-racism-costs-everyone-and-how-we-can-prosper-together-heather-mcghee/14618549?ean=9780525509585&gclid=CjwKCAjw_aemBhBLEiwAT98FMvEJMazqlwD3nOoLdlTljFanHk60CcmAKKxlpVsn0e3KKD0scsK82BoCQtgQAvD_BwE
AWARE-LA: https://www.awarela.org/
SURJ (Showing Up For Racial Justice): https://surj.org/ - “A home for white people working for justice” - find your local chapter
Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America by Ijeoma Oluo: https://bookshop.org/p/books/mediocre-the-dangerous-legacy-of-white-male-america-ijeoma-oluo/12997412?ean=9781580059527 (purchase from a Black-owned bookstore)
Affinity Spaces for white folks:
European Dissent: (ED) is an Affinity Group of The People's Institute of Survival and Beyond. ED is a group of people of European descent who "dissent" from the ideology of white supremacy and organize together with other whites and people of color to undo racism. If you would like to join our NYC meetings, contact me at: robin.schlenger@gmail.com and I will add you to our list serv. We meet the second Monday of every month (virtually) from 6:30-8:30 PM.
Social Workers of European Decent Against Racism (SWEDAR) is a collective of white social workers/mental health professionals/educators who meet to better understand and expose white supremacy in the systems in which we work as well as in our personal lives. This Committee grew out of the Coalition on Race, Diversity, and Intersectionality (CRDI) and utilizes the shared lens of “race and racism as a social construct with power and great systemic impact.” We are committed to regularly process how racism disconnects us from our humanity and to take the needed steps to move toward a better understanding of our role as gatekeepers in our agencies and hold ourselves, and the structures we are a part of, more accountable in order to better serve our clients. SWEDAR meets separately from other multi-racial groups in order to better position ourselves to organize more effectively with those groups and with other social workers of Color by not overshadowing other voices nor remaining silent.
Contacts:
McKay Sharpe: mckaywsharpe@gmail.com
Justin Lioi: justinlioi@gmail.com
I am sharing some updated information about accountability hubs offered by MPG Consulting. See below for more information!
Undoing Racism® Executive Collective Overview:
This group is designed for people in senior leadership in their organizations, particularly executive directors and their senior leadership teams, who have substantial decision-making authority and are invested in nurturing the organizations they lead to become more equitable, just, and anti-racist institutions. The group offers the opportunity to gather with peers and grapple collectively and honestly with the challenges leaders encounter and to build strategies and support for overcoming those challenges. Others are also welcome.
Our work is guided by the principles of The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond, who are recognized internationally for their Undoing Racism® Workshop and Community Organizing Workshop.
UPDATED ACCOUNTABILITY HUBS
We encourage you to connect with ACCOUNTABILITY HUBS. All Hubs Are Free!
Our Virtual Accountability Hubs offer an additional place to grapple in meaningful ways with your anti-racist leadership, practice, and organizational culture.
AANHPI Undoing Racism® Collective
The AANHPI Undoing Racism® Collective is an Undoing Racism® Accountability Hub for all AANHPI Leaders who are invested in nurturing their organizations to become more equitable, just, and anti-racist institutions. This group offers the opportunity to gather with other AANHPI peers to explore our AANHPI identities and discuss collectively and honestly the challenges leaders encounter and to build strategies and support for overcoming those challenges. We are a group of Asian Americans who meet via Zoom on the second Friday of every month at 11 am EST. To learn more about he AANHPI Undoing Racism® Collective, email Ben at bchan@cfrny.org.
BIPOC SHIP Undoing Racism® Accountability Hub
BIPOC SHIP is a Black, Indigenous, People of Color Accountability Hub that meets virtually every third Thursday at 2 pm EST to grapple with the challenges in their organizations. It is a brave space where anti-racist professionals and service providers Support, Heal, Inspire, and Plan to dismantle barriers to equity. Participants enjoy an opportunity to add to their knowledge, focus on solutions, be in community, and expand their network with other passionate professionals committed to anti-racism and anti-oppression. This gathering is open to all BIPOC who seek connection and solutions on their anti-racist journey. To join us for our next meeting, email Lynn at: lynn@mpgconsultingnyc.com.
LEADERSHIP AND MIDDLE MANAGERS Undoing Racism® Accountability Hub
The Leadership and Middle Managers Accountability Hub is a brave space for Middle Managers, Directors and Leadership teams of all races and cultural backgrounds who are passionate about dismantling structural racism within their institutions. This is a gathering for leaders with substantial decision-making authority who are invested in helping their organizations in becoming more equitable and anti-racist environments where everyone feels that they belong and that they can succeed. Participants virtually meet with peers at 9:30 am EST on the second Tuesday of the month to grapple collectively and honestly with the challenges anti-racist leaders encounter in their organizations. To learn more about The Leadership and Middle Managers Accountability Hub, email Shane at shane.king98@yahoo.com.
WHITE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS Undoing Racism® Accountability Hub
The Undoing Racism® Accountability Hub for White Executive Directors is a brave space for White Executive Directors. The purpose is to come together as a community of white leaders and grapple with what it means to be a white executive director doing ant-racist work. Meetings are on the first and third Tuesdays of the month from 8:30am–9:50am EST. On the first Tuesday, we discuss topics related to that month's Executive Undoing meeting and other learnings. The second meeting is devoted to peer support in which members grapple with issues that arise in their organizations and their personal anti-racist journeys. Email Brigid with your questions: brigid.lang@gmail.com.
WHITE LEADERS Undoing Racism® Accountability Hub
The White Leaders Undoing Racism® Accountability Hub is a brave space for White folks who are looking for a community to learn about and practice Undoing Racism® in our work and personal lives. In collaboration with the multiracial First Monday gatherings, we meet as a collective to:
Help each other while we are at different places on our anti-racist journey.
Learn and do the work together.
Lean on other white people which takes the burden off people of color who shouldn’t always have to teach us, hold emotional space for us, or tell us what to do.
Allow a space for more honesty; not “performing anti-racism,” but to work through problems.
Our group emphasizes accountability as well as putting theory into practice.
Meetings are every second Thursday of the month from 3pm-4:30pm EST. For more information, email Jenn at jenniferrosepatel@gmail.com or Hillary at hkolos@gmail.com.
Please click the link below for updated information: