Following the brutal police killing of George Floyd last year, the world shifted at large and further propelled the Black Lives Matter movement to a wider global scale. As its initial stance was taken on social media, it relied heavily on these platforms (such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram) in order to spread its message. The movement is still prevalent today in 2021 and continues to spark discussions regarding the racial injustice faced by people of color. For instance, social media has recently taken to expressing its concern regarding the rise in Asian Hate Crimes committed as a result of the global coronavirus pandemic, discussing the severe injustice faced on a daily basis.
The beauty of social media platforms is that they provide individuals with the ability to create their own content and share their own thoughts with an almost unfiltered freedom. Whilst this newfound freedom of speech does come with its own set of complications, the majority of young adults are able to use social media as a hub of internet activism as they are finally granted a platform to speak freely about various socio-political events happening all around the world. However, it is important to acknowledge that the media we create and consume manifests itself into our daily conversations and we must be mindful of the comments we make, particularly in regard to minorities.
Anti-blackness in general exists beyond social media and online discussions: it is prevalent in everyday lives and its effects are extremely detrimental. Therefore, it becomes our duty to educate ourselves and our communities about the consequences of these seemingly ‘simple’ phrases.
To begin, here are some frequently used phrases that come across as antiblack:
“Racism is normalized against [insert race]”
This phrase has underlying implications of comparing the racial injustice experienced by others to that experienced by black people which is undoubtedly wrong. Using ‘normalized’ makes it seem like we are implying that racism against other communities is not as talked about as racism against black communities which can lead to conflict among the communities of people of color. Just because anti-blackness is more visible does not mean it is any less normalized. The existence of racism itself is due to its normalization and the constant manifestation of it by white supremacists throughout history. It is worth bearing in mind that the reason anti-blackness is so visible is because of the centuries old hard work done by black communities in the form of protests to foster public outcry.
The Black Lives Matter movement has played a major role in prompting discussions regarding racial discrimination and allowing both the media and everyday people to speak openly about these issues without a filter. To say “racism is normalized against ___” feeds into the agenda of white supremacists as it places minorities against each other and eradicates some of the progress that has been made in the fight against white supremacy.
While racism in general is normalized, it is experienced differently by different groups of color as a result of the system. It is important to remember that racism can be brought attention to by different communities and groups without the need for comparison, especially as banding together allows for all races to fight racism as a whole.
2. “Everyone is silent on this issue but when it was BLM…”
Frequently used after the popularization of the Black Lives Matter movement, this is incontestably an antiblack phrase. It creates a comparison between other races’ (and their struggles) and the Black Lives Matter movement in a manner that does more harm than good. When you compare one movement to another by saying it is not getting as much coverage and uproar as others, you minimize the importance of the movements you are comparing it to. It should also be noted that BLM took a significantly long amount of time to gain the coverage and recognition that it has received today. All racial injustice issues impact people separately, therefore it is both unnecessary and insensitive to compare the pain and emotion of these affected groups, especially as each and every situation is equally valid regardless.
Comparison is never the solution and certainly not when the things being compared are different with a notable amount of history behind them. The history and the cause of different racial and communal injustice movements are separate and that is what needs to be shared and recognized. The enemy here isn’t a certain one gaining more popularity than the other, it is the internalized racism and white supremacy engraved in our minds. By identifying these as the root problem, we are able to take a step towards eradicating them. Rather than comparing movements, we should amplify them by raising awareness and sharing resources to help.
3. “You’re so articulate”/ “You don’t sound black”
These types of phrases when said to a person of color, more specifically to black individuals, can come off as extremely racist. While many people perceive this to be some sort of compliment, it is in fact the opposite. Regardless of whether they are said with good intentions, these phrases imply that black people cannot be articulate, and that black people only speak in a certain ‘uneducated’ way. This is a spiteful and derogatory stereotype which only further harms the black community.
Accents, speech patterns and dialects are almost entirely cultural. How a person speaks is a consequence of their upbringing (parents, friends, teachers, community, etc) and to a lesser degree, the media they were exposed to. In consequence, the way a person speaks can often be used to tell what their region or community of origin is. However, the assumption that there is a single way of speaking that all black people are supposed to conform to is both wrong and offensive. There are many communities of varying racial backgrounds throughout the world and each of them have their own dialects and phrases. Some are very similar while some are vastly different, and it is a serious problem to assume that there's one "black" way of speaking.
These are a few out of the many common antiblack phrases that are said on a daily basis without a second thought. These phrases often downplay, minimize and remove attention from the issue at hand while also contributing to racial stereotyping. It is essential to be mindful of your words as although you may have good intentions, the words you speak have greater consequences for already marginalized groups. Therefore, as a community we need to dismantle these issues which can only be done if we are aware of our actions and actively work on them.
Written by: Ikshita Sahay
Edited by: Sarbani & Sonakshi Khosla
Illustrated by: Hamdan Ayub
References
Daniel Odin Shaw and Saman Ayesha Kidwai -, et al. “The Global Impact of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) Movement.” The Geopolitics, 20 Dec. 2020, thegeopolitics.com/the-global-impact-of-the-black-lives-matter-movement/.
“2020 a Milestone Year for Black Lives Matter Movement.” UB Now: News and Views for UB Faculty and Staff - University at Buffalo, 15 Jan. 2021, www.buffalo.edu/ubnow/stories/2021/01/blm-milestone.html.
Khan, Janaya. “Model Minority Is a Myth.” Instagram, 2021, www.instagram.com/tv/CLSYdY-BLoW/.
“We All Have a Responsibility to Call out Racism When We See It.” South China Morning Post, 5 Nov. 2018, www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/2171768/racism-should-never-be-normalised-and-we-all-have.
Sang, Elliot. “Asians Must Stop Comparing Our Issues to Black Lives Matter.” Medium, GEN, 16 Feb. 2021, gen.medium.com/asians-must-stop-comparing-our-issues-to-black-lives-matter-2879b1051d2a.
Reardon, Kathleen Kelley. “The Surreptitious Influence of Spiteful Stereotypes.” Big Think, Big Think, 5 Oct. 2018, bigthink.com/influence-power-politics/the-surreptitious-influence-of-spiteful-stereotypes.
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