Frequently Heard Claim: “White Bajans experience more racism than Black Bajans…”
A section of “Becoming Anti-Racist in Barbados: Q&A”, a resource list for ALL white or ‘pass-fuh-white’ Bajans, and other white people living in Barbados.
“As a ‘white minority’ I’ve experienced more racism than Black people. What about reverse racism?”
There is often confusion about the term “racism”. It’s important to note that white people may occasionally experience prejudice based on our skin tone, it is not the same thing as the systemic and individual racism faced by people of colour. This may be different from the original definition of racism you learned! Language and context have since evolved, and we are all smart enough to make minor changes to our language.
In fact, Webster’s Dictionary will soon be updating the definition of racism to reflect this more accurately.
From ACLRC:
“Assumptions and stereotypes about white people are examples of racial prejudice, not racism. Racial prejudice refers to a set of discriminatory or derogatory attitudes based on assumptions deriving from perceptions about race and/or skin colour. Thus, racial prejudice can indeed be directed at white people (e.g., white people can’t dance [side note we know as Bajans this isn’t always true!]) but is not considered racism because of the systemic relationship of power. When backed with power, prejudice results in acts of discrimination and oppression against groups or individuals […]
Ricky Sherover-Marcuse asserts that “we should not confuse the occasional mistreatment experienced by whites at the hands of people of color with the systematic and institutionalized mistreatment experienced by people of color at the hands of whites” (“A Working Definition of Racism,” p. 2). While expressions of racial prejudice directed at white people may hurt the white person/people individually or personally, and are never to be condoned, they do not have the power or authority to affect the white person’s social/economic/political location and privileges. (See definition of White Privilege/White-Skin Privilege)
Reverse racism is a myth because it tries to ignore the fundamental question of who holds more power/privilege between the individuals/groups involved; the myth of reverse racism assumes that racism occurs on a so-called level playing field.”
By examining the history of how and why racist ideas were formed in the 1600s, and how they have functioned since in society we can see that it is substantially different than anti-white prejudices.
So, what’s a local example?
One major difference between racism and anti-white discrimination is that Black people often fear reporting racist incidents to those in authority, because they may not receive justice and in fact may even be punished. White people are able to report discrimination with the knowledge that an authority will probably support them in some way, or they can raise enough of a fuss that someone will listen and the wrongs can be righted.
We can use any discrimination we may have experienced due to our race as a starting point to increase our empathy. After-all, if these relatively small events of discrimination have been harmful to you, despite the many ways you have privilege, imagine how much more difficult it can be for Black people who experience both prejudice and racism on a large scale level without the historical privileges and advantages of being white.
Other Sections
Frequently Heard Claims
- “Racism is more of an American issue…”
- “I’m white and I’m not wealthy, I don’t have white privilege…”
- “Slavery happened years ago, why can’t people get over it?”
- “I have Black family and friends etc. I’m not racist…”
- “As a ‘white minority’ I’ve experienced more racism than Black people…”
- “I don’t see colour… Why don’t we just spread positivity?”
- “It’s not about race, it’s about class issue etc.”
- “Indentured servants were slaves too!”
- “Black workers are lazy.”
- “My Black friends & family agree with me on this…”
- “Every race segregate and hire their relatives and friends, not just White people”
- “There are many Black people who have done very well for themselves”
- “All Lives Matter”
- “The Nelson Statue should stay, we can’t change history!”
- “ Having conversations about race in Barbados is divisive and will only stir up hatred and violence…”
- “I don’t like the tones of these conversations when they become angry and extreme!”
- “Black people sold others into slavery; other cultures enslaved people throughout history”
- “Some Black people were treated well under slavery”
- “I’m not a fan of Blackout Tuesday. What does it accomplish?”
- “Changing all of these brand names is foolishness”
Now I want to talk to all my Black friends and family about racism!
