a) dehumanizes the oppressed so that the oppressing people group often feels little empathy for the oppressed. Instead of empathy, the "brain on race" works to blame the oppressed people group, to justify unjust treatment. For example, "George Floyd was trying to use counterfeit money. He was a criminal." This is a brain on race in a dominant culture person working to justify a police officer slowly torturing and murdering a handcuffed black man over the course of 8 minutes and 46 seconds by putting a knee to his neck and cutting off his air supply until he died.
b) The brain on race for the oppressing people group also works in a way to ensure they do not see themselves living in bondage under an oppressive system. Living with power and privilege does not feel like harm because harm is not being done to them. Or is it? When we grow a conscious awareness of how racism works, the dominant culture can begin to see that compassion, justice, love, humanity, community has repeatedly been betrayed and sold out to retain benefits at the expense of others.
A turning point for me on this journey was when I began to grow awareness of both of these ways that my thinking works to retain and perpetuate the system of racism. When I began to understand how I've thought about and seen people of color AND when I recognized my own bondage and what I've lost of myself because of racism, I was broken and wrecked. This is a needed wrecking. I can only begin to move toward growth and freedom when I can recognize and feel the brokenness and bondage caused by racism.
A quote that leads me and has been so influential for me on this journey is this:
"If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you are come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together." -Lilla Watson, Indigenous Australian, artist, activist
No comments:
Post a Comment