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#Megxit: Fueled by Racism?

Image sourced from CNN 

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle recently stepped down as senior royals and left the UK, departing to begin their new life in Canada, in a move many have labelled as “Megxit”. The decision has prompted a heated debate on racism and its contribution to the couple’s decision. Before 2016, racism in the royal family wasn’t a topic that was oft debated, for the simple fact that there weren’t many people of colour (PoCs) in  the spaces the royal family inhabited. It wasn’t until Prince Harry started dating Markle that the topic started being discussed in the context of the royal family. It’s common knowledge that Markle as a mixed-race woman has dealt with a lot of criticism containing racial undertones from the British press. In 2016, Prince Harry himself publicly acknowledged these “racial undertones” and the “outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments” on Meghan Markle when they publicly announced their relationship to the world.

Writer Afua Hirsch states that the combination of the tabloids’ criticism of Markle in barbed, racialized language and the right-wing sentiment that has overtaken the UK has contributed to Prince Harry and Markle “voting with their feet”. TV presenter Piers Morgan clashed with Hirsch in a Good Morning Britain debate on whether the British press has exhibited racist sentiment towards Markle. Morgan confidently quipped that there was no racism involved and that Hirsch could not put forward racism as an argument where there wasn’t any. However, Morgan misses the point here. Racism is not a matter of opinion but of reality and experience. Rather than being something that can be proven through concrete evidence, one can only truly measure racism through the ethnic miniority experience. Hirsch points to the fact that as someone who has lived the experience of being a person of African heritage in the UK, there are narratives that are constantly being perpetuated surrounding her race; narratives that Morgan as a white man may not be aware of and may even unknowingly perpetuate himself. Therefore, someone’s lived experience of racism should not be open to debate.

Indeed, nobody is denying that Meghan and her husband are in a rather privileged position in terms of social class and opportunity. However, while it is possible for various forms of discrimination based on social class, race or religion to intersect, Markle’s treatment by the British media needs to be taken at face value, without peripheral discussions about her position in society and the good fortune it affords her. Markle’s experience of racism is hinted at on the royals’ website, where her and her husband state that they “believe in a free, strong and open media industry, which upholds accuracy and fosters inclusivity, diversity and tolerance”. Sure enough, many publications have been accused of double standards in their differing treatment of Kate Middleton and Markle, with many publications vilifying Markle and praising Middleton for the same behaviour. One particular example of this was when Markle was accused by InStyle of breaking royal protocol by wearing wedged shoes but months later the very same publication praised Middleton for wearing them and even went so far as branding them “the most versatile shoes of the summer”. Royal expert Kristen Meinzer even went so far as to say that this would not have happened if Markle was white.

Stepping down from their position as royals means that Markle and Prince Harry will escape the royal-rota system, which gives British media representatives from UK media outlets like The Daily Express, The Daily Mail, The Daily Mirror, and the Telegraph the opportunity to exclusively cover an event. They will forego this system in favour of adopting a “revised media approach to ensure diverse an open access to their work” which includes engaging with grassroots media organisations and inviting specialist media to specific events and engagements to give greater access to their cause-driven activities.

Netizens took to several online platforms like Twitter and Facebook to voice their concerns over this “race row”, commenting that Britain is actually very racially tolerant and claims of racism towards Markle are nonsensical. However, racism may not be as blatant as you would think. Hirsch alludes to the belief that many have that “racism is when somebody has in their mind that they hate people of color. [They] will say, ‘I don’t have a racist bone in my boy” while perpetrating racist narratives. This is an opportunity to show people what racism can look like”. Many people believe that racism can only be seen in Jim Crow laws, apartheid, and racial riots. But racism can take a shapeshifting form and undercut its way into society. Institutionalised racism is almost invisible, only truly felt or experienced by ethnic minorities, and cleverly disguised by claims of “tolerance” and “equality” by the ethnic majority. Despite there being no outright legislation condoning racist behaviour anymore, it still makes its way into society in the form of unconscious bias, which, according to The Guardian, are quick decisions conditioned by our backgrounds, cultural environment and personal experiences. A poll commissioned in 2018 in the UK found evidence to support concerns that unconscious bias has a negative effect on ethnic minorities in the UK. You can explore the results of the poll further here: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/ng-interactive/2018/dec/02/bias-in-britain-explore-the-poll-results

The above poll shows stark differences in ethnic minorities’ and white people’s experiences in the UK. For example, 53% of people from a minority background felt they were treated differently because of their appearances, compared with 29% of white people. Half of the respondents from an ethnic minority background say they believe people sometimes did not realise they were treating them differently because of their ethnicity, which suggests unconscious bias. Prince Harry himself even commented on the existence of unconscious bias in a Vogue article, stating that “unconscious bias is proving that, because of the way that you've been brought up, the environment you've been brought up in, suggests that you have this point of view - unconscious point of view - where naturally you will look at someone in a different way.’ and points to the fact that it is something so many people still don’t understand. The reality is, many ethnic minorities experience micro-aggressions on a daily basis because of unconscious bias.

Therefore, to make a blanket statement that racism in the UK is not an issue anymore is to ignore the personal experience of millions of Brits. Perhaps the media are not aware of the racist narratives they are perpetuating as a result of their treatment of Markle, or of the unconscious bias at play. Royal expert Meinzer notes that the press comments on Markle in such a manner because “their criticisms tap into the basest and ugliest bigotries in people – bigotries that certain people love to nurture and revel in and buy papers for.”

It has been implied through Prince Harry’s own statements and interviews that the media’s past treatment of his mother and his willingness to protect his family have also contributed to their decision to take a step back as senior royals. While it may be unfair to say that racism was the sole reason behind “Megxit”, it is arguably one of the major contributing factors.

[provokingthoughtpieces]

Protect Your Energy

 “Light attracts light. But sometimes your light attracts moths and your warmth attracts parasites. Protect your space and energy” - Warsan Shire 

Not long ago, I visited an alternative medicine therapist who deals with all kinds of illnesses and ailments. He said that many of the people who come through his doors do not actually suffer from any physical ailments. They visit him in order for him to perform an “energy cleanse”, which is supposed to extinguish all of the negative energy inside them. According to the therapist, negative energy is everywhere, and we can absorb it from those around us, whether they are passersby on the streets, our significant other, our close family and friends or our stressed out co-workers. Even something as mindless as walking past someone can influence our energy, so imagine what engaging in conversation with someone can! 

What the therapist said got me thinking. We are constantly being told how important it is to eat well, get our 8 hours of sleep, and make time to rest. Something that is not often told to us is the importance of protecting  our energy. To protect our energy we all need to be mindful of the places (or people) that are draining our positive energy. 

When we engage with people, we need to create those boundaries as individuals because we owe it to ourselves. We feel drained because we allow people to step on us and steal our happy, healthy energy. So say NO to outings that you feel will drain you, say NO to experiences that you feel are not beneficial to you at this point of your life, say NO to something if you feel that you are too tired or you have had a stressful week. When those moments of doubt creep in, know that “no” is a complete sentence, even if you risk being disliked for it. Have the courage to be disliked. You aren’t going to be liked by everyone. And it’s certainly not healthy to be liked by everyone at the expense of cultivating negative energy within yourself. 

When it comes to protecting yourself from negative energy, it is necessary to build a proverbial “wall” around you. Take a moment, take a breath, close your eyes and surround yourself with a soft white light that mimics a protective bubble encapsulating you and shielding you from the negative vibes that surround you.

Frankly, it is impossible to altogether avoid negative spaces and negative people because we do need to go to school and work and run errands. But choose carefully the spaces that you wish to inhabit and the people you wish to spend time with. Negative energy can not only drain you, but can also weaken your immune system and make you sick! There have been many studies done that show that mental imbalance can result in disease and illnesses and that is why several cultures around the world turn to alternative medicine like herbal medicines, meditation, massage, acupuncture and reiki healing in such situations. So please protect yourself and keep yourself in selective environments. Do not be available everywhere, especially in places where you do not want to be and where you are well aware that there may be a person or situation that will trigger you and mess with your energy. At the risk of sounding rude, some people are life-sucking, negative energy vampires. Avoiding certain people or situations to protect your mental health is not weakness. It’s wisdom. 

So just as we look after our health, so too do we need to keep a watchful eye on the energy that surrounds us day in and day out. 

[provokingthoughtpieces]

Reverse Racism Is Not A Thing

I attended a talk by a society in my university called The Black Women’s Project in my second year. It was an excellent talk which focused on deducing our emotional responses to the injustices experienced by black people. There were many issues talked about, such as police violence to young blacks (most notably in America), the disadvantages black people face in the education and job systems, and cultural appropriation. However, one topic that was brought up that was of particular interest to me was the topic of reverse racism. The definition of reverse racism is a very literal one. It can only be defined as a person of color making fun of a white person for a white characteristic or trait. Many people have questioned the existence of reverse racism – does it actually exist? Sam White in the movie “Dear White People” put it plainly:

Black people can’t be racist. Prejudiced yes, but not racist. Racism describes a system of disadvantage based on race. Black people can’t be racists since we don’t stand to benefit from such a system.

We do not live in a society where every racial group has equal power, status, and opportunity. This is why racism cannot flow from a racially disadvantaged group to a racially advantaged group. It just can’t.

The terms racism and prejudice are often classified as interchangeable, but they are simply not. While it is true that black people can be prejudiced towards white people, they cannot be racist towards them. For a black person to be racist to a white person requires a history of segregation, colonization and enslavement and years of tormenting with racially derogatory words, and this simply does not exist.

To be racist requires being in a position of racial privilege. Racism is not just about individuality but it is also about institutionality. People of Color cannot technically be racist towards a system that holds the institutional power to oppress them.

While it is true that black people can be prejudiced towards white people, they cannot be racist towards them.

This is not to disregard the fact that white people can never experience prejudice or discrimination in any form. People often make fun of the fact that “white people never use seasoning on their food” (which, real talk, where the spice at tho) or “white people can’t dance”.

These remarks are not heavy criticisms, but they can still be classified as discriminatory remarks. However, it is simply politically incorrect to decry these as racist remarks. On a side note, “reverse racism” has now even brought into the political realm. The man of the hour with regards to this topic, Donald Trump, recently denounced the show “Black-ish” as racist because there would be outcry if there was a show called “Whiteish”.

Now let’s talk about the #OscarsSoWhite controversy. Recently, actress Stacey Dash commented on the controversy, claiming that there is a barrier to stopping segregation of black and white people. She claimed that things such as BET and Black History Month encouraged segregation of black and white people and should be discontinued. This is fundamentally wrong.

The reason BET was set up in the first place, was because there weren’t many networks willing to take on a show that had an all black of even majority black cast and crew. This was why it was created – to depict the talents of black people and to create opportunity where there was none. Some people would say that having an “all black cast” is fundamentally wrong as this goes against the essence of diversity and inclusion. However, what about shows like Friends and Cheers? These were shows that had an all-white cast when it was looked down upon to have an all-black cast, yet no one found fault with the lack of diversity in these shows.

The same goes for Black History Month. Black History Month was created to educate about the struggles of black people and the history that isn’t too often taught in the regular school curriculum, which is, respectably, history that is very whitewashed.

Amongst complaints of there not being a “White History Month”, The View co-host Joy Behar shut down claims of reverse racism by commenting that, frankly, White History Month is every other month in the year. White history is the history we are taught in the majority of schools. White history is the history that is celebrated the most in our society. This is not to say that we should not be taught it, as white history is just as fundamentally important as black peoples’ and other minorities’ history is. However, we need to have an understanding and appreciation for the history of many different cultures.

With that, I hope I have clearly established my opinion on reverse racism – that it is not real. It just doesn’t exist.

Reverse racism isn’t real because we live in a culture that supports and enforces whiteness as the norm. Something I found on Tumblr really captures the essence of this:

Maybe we’ve missed the way white Americans have been systemically deprived of access and opportunities.

Maybe we’ve overlooked all the times whites have been targeted by implicit and explicit race-baiting attacks, whether they’re playing professional sports or seeking elected office.

Maybe we didn’t get the memo on the way the legacy of discrimination against white Americans continues to manifest itself in worse outcomes in income, home ownership, health and employment for them, the way white people are told they’re “objectively” ugly, and the disgust so many Americans felt the last time a white person ran for president.

Oh, wait, none of that has happened? So we’re talking about white people being victimized by things like affirmative action, the Smithsonian’s new black museum and scholarships for minorities? In that case, perhaps the study should be renamed, “Whites Have Forgotten What Racial Discrimination Actually Is.

[provokingthoughtpieces]

An exploration of colorism

Colorism is the practice of discriminating against people of a darker skin tone, and it happens amongst individuals belonging to the same racial group or between racial groups.

The roots of colorism go back to colonization. Many people of Indian and African backgrounds and ethnicities wish to be lighter skinned to meet Western standards of beauty.

In India, it is taught that the fairer you are, the better you are. The fairer you are, the easier it is to find a husband. The fairer you are, the more people will like you. Yes, something as trivial as the shade of brown or black you are has a large impact on the way people are treated in Indian and African communities.

In India, advertisements for the popular skin whitening cream ‘Fair and Lovely’ depict the darker woman not getting the job or the part in a play simply because of her skin colour. The advertisements are formulated in a ‘before’ and ‘after’ manner, showing the protagonist after she has used ‘Fair and Lovely’ finally landing the job and in a glowing white light, as if having fairer skin somehow propels you to the heavens.

The message that these advertisements convey is that light is beautiful and dark skin is something to be ashamed of; something to ‘fix’ with a cream that will open doors for you in life. Go to Ghana, India, China, Malaysia, South Africa and you will see billboards and magazine and television advertisements for skin whitening creams everywhere. The area of concern of this message is that it depicts dark skin as somehow inferior and has an impact on the young girls and boys in these communities.

As someone of Indian ethnicity myself, I often heard advice from my older relatives telling me not to go out into the sun for fear of getting too dark. I saw my grandmother use Fair & Lovely and cover her face with powder to look fairer. When relatives told me that I had gotten ‘darker’ from being in the sun too much, I always used to wonder why that was something to be ashamed of; something to worry about.

Only when I grew older did I fully begin to understand that these were comments stemming from a history in colorism in India. I was fortunate enough to grow up with parents who didn’t place much importance on the colour of my skin. I was fortunate enough to have role models like Lupita Nyong’o, Viola Davis and most notably, Mindy Kaling, who taught me that dark was beautiful, and just how little the shade of your skin should impact upon your future prospects in life. However, this isn’t the case for many young boys and girls living in Indian communities today.

I came across an interview in a documentary titled “Fair? A Documentary About Skin Colour in India”, which attempted to discuss the issue of colorism in India. The interview featured a young middle-class boy with a dark complexion conveying his wishes to be ‘fair’ and ‘attractive’ like his classmates. What do his classmates do to achieve such a fair complexion? They bleach their skin.

The boy looked distressed and somber, noting the different whitening creams he has used to try and lighten his complexion. The boy looked about 10. This shocked me, because I did not think that this was an issue amongst such young men and women. However, this boy was growing up around peers who bleached their skin and denounced his naturally darker skin as ‘ugly’, just because they were conditioned to think so. When the interviewer asked the boy “What do your teachers tell you?”, the boy replied with his head down “You are dark so we don’t like you”.

“You are dark so we don’t like you”. This is the gist of the Fair & Lovely advertisements and the marketing ploy of bleaching creams that this boy’s peers use. You are dark so society will not like you. You are dark so your potential husband will not like you. You are dark so you will not land your dream job. And so on and so forth.

Some people are lucky enough to recognize and reject the standard, but most are not because of the internalized colorism that exists within these communities.

Colorism can have a damaging impact on people in African communities too. There is a stigma of colorism in the US amongst, most notably, African American girls. There used to be something known as the ‘brown paper bag’ test that was common practice in sororities in the US. This phenomenon involved young college-aged girls comparing their skin color to the color of a brown paper bag to make sure that they were not darker in color than the bag. The point of this exercise was to somehow ‘weed out’ the darker girls, who weren’t allowed membership in the sorority on that basis alone. The brown paper bag test was not only used in sororities but at many multi-racial social events from the early 20th century to the 1950s. This surprising practice shows how colorism is rampant even in our modern society, and it is terrifying to think that colorism is often internalized within a particular racial community.

As of late, a lot of discussion has surrounded the Nina Simone biopic, which casted a lighter skinned Zoe Saldana in the lead role of Nina Simone. Nina Simone was known not just for her music, but for the fact that she was a darker skinned African American who had made it in the music business, at a time that having dark skin was looked down upon. This is why Zoe Saldana’s portrayal of Nina Simone sparked a colorism debate. Many people were outraged and believed that they did not receive an authentic representation of Nina Simone in Zoe Saldana. The fault was not with Zoe Saldana herself and her ethnic background, rather it was with the casting decision itself. Kierna Mayo, editor-in-chief of Ebony Magazine, conveyed her sentiments about the casting decision on NewsOne, commenting that

“The sensitivity here is particular of Nina Simone, who herself so embodied racial pride, who herself so did not fit the Hollywood package … image that we all have grown so accustomed to that we can spit off the names Paula Patton and Zoe Saldana with ease, but we cannot find their darker-skinned peers.”

Mayo alerts to the issue in question – that the casting directors missed out on an opportunity to cast a darker and talented African American who more accurately represents Nina Simone and the image she portrayed in Hollywood.

It is important to note that colorism is present in many different communities, not only in African and Indian communities. It is present in many East Asian communities, in Middle Eastern communities, and pretty much any other community that houses people of different shades of skin. It is not important where colorism originated. It is only important that we unlearn all of the beliefs that have been indoctrinated into our minds about colorism. The world is too many shades of beautiful to think that perfection can be achieved with only one shade.