An Introduction to Blind Spots
This is the first in a series exploring how I, a white person, understand racism.
This is the first post in an ongoing series about being a white man who is working to better understand how prejudice functions and what my role in perpetuating racism is. As I learn to uncover my blind spots and better understand white people's cultural conditioning in America, I will share those experiences. My goal is two-fold; first, to write about my journey to uncover my own racism and, therefore, better understand it. And second, to offer a path to other white men, or to white people in general, who want to work toward reducing their own racism. As a white person, I can safely say that we really don't understand how horrible racism still is in America. We can and should figure it out together.
Before I go any further, let me be clear, white people are the sole cause of racism in America. We have to take ownership of the problem if we want to end it in our own lives. I am not naive enough to think we will completely end racism. It would be nice if we could, but I don't know that we can ever convince everyone of their racism. Racism is too ingrained in our culture. However, I am optimistic that with enough self-awareness, humility, introspection, and hard work, we can significantly reduce or possibly eliminate racism in our individual beings.
All of us lived through the Black Lives Matter movement that gripped the nation during the summer of 2020. Many of us were searching for a way to make a difference, aside from joining a protest. People of color would tell us that if we don't understand how racism works in American, we need to learn about it for ourselves and stop asking them for guidance. I hate to admit, I don't totally get it. That's the problem though, as white people, we don't have to understand racism. Not having to understand is one of our many privileges. Being aware that I don't totally get it is a step toward being open enough to "get it" a little more and a little better.
So I am setting out to discover more about how racism works in America. The role I play in perpetuating racism. And how I am blind to the multitude of racist acts I see or am a part of every day.
This is all about the subtle stuff, the microaggressions, and the cultural conditioning. It is about what has happened around me my entire life, which I am so accustomed to, I don't even realize what is happening. Beyond that, it is also about how I feel, how I react, and what I think in particular situations. This is all buried so deep and so well ingrained that recognizing it is seemingly impossible. That is what makes racism so insidious and difficult to acknowledge by the perpetrators. It reminds me of the saying, "You don't know what you don't know."
This is going to be messy at times. Probably cringe-worthy at points too. As it turns out, it's the best way to learn about the inherent racism instilled in me since birth. I'm going to make mistakes and say things that are tone-def and will probably lose some sleep over it. That's okay, as long as I can come out a better person on the other side of this. There will be pushback on some of my ideas, and that is okay too. It will give me a chance to rearticulate my thoughts in a way that might make better sense and create deeper learning. I hope my friends and readers who are victims of racism speak up and let me know when I don't get it right. I know that might be asking a lot. The truth is, I will need your help to learn about what I don't know or understand. I have had the luxury of whizzing past my blind spots all my life with little or no consequences. That needs to end. If you are afraid of hurting my feelings, well, don't be. I won't be upset with you. I will be disappointed with myself for not seeing what is obvious to others. That is a good thing, and I will learn from that. Once I can see around or past my blind spots, the healing can begin.
Thank you for being here and for joining me on this journey.