Digging into systemic racism

My job is to learn, with great depth and breadth, about examples of systemic racism. I know what many of them are, and I'm learning new things all the time. I need to be able to see it -- to recognize it. As a white person who has benefited from these systems for 45 years, I need to be able to call it out and explain it to others. 

I started reading a book called The Skin We're In by Desmond Cole (cited in my Reading List page). I am drawn to a quote that made me do a double take. Cole said: 

"White supremacy keeps stepping on your toes while insisting it was an accident" (p.9). 

Ouch, right? But I think I get it. The dominant culture has always done no wrong and has never needed to defend its actions. 

A prominent topic in this book is police brutality against Black people. Cole tells the story of a time when he was walking at night and was stopped by police and carded. He was terrified of what might happen. It breaks my heart over and over again to realize that police treat Black people differently than they treat white people: greater use of force, more scrutiny, more surveillance, more targeting. 

Now that I am aware of police brutality against Black people, I hear about it every day. Without fail. This is why I need to dig in. It makes my heart hurt so much. I need to understand it deeply so I can participate in trying to make the world a better place.

Why do I deserve to walk through my life with no fear of having my toes stepped on by the police just because I am white? I've been pulled over and ticketed for speeding a total of three times in my life and I was never once terrified that the incident would escalate into violence. I was never asked to get out of my car. I was never worried that an officer would lay a hand on me or draw a gun. 

What is being done to bring awareness of this to the forefront of our police services here in Ontario and Canada? Around the world? I know that there are police officers out there who are as heartbroken about all this as I am. I happen to know, however, that there are others who will defend police culture until the cows come home. I'm looking for examples of the ones who want to get past the othering. I also want to better understand what it is about police culture that makes othering so easy -- dehumanizing Black people because they can. 

I am aware that police forces were originally put into place for the sole purpose of keeping Black people in line. That was who slave owners called when their slaves ran away. I feel like I need to know what is being taught in police colleges these days in order to quell the racism. 

I am one chapter in, and I am full of questions. I'm ready to dig in more. I might end up with more questions. There is so much to learn. That's why I am here.   

     

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