{"id":458,"date":"2019-03-20T03:31:03","date_gmt":"2019-03-20T03:31:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breaking-the-silence.online\/index.php\/2019\/03\/20\/sohn-did-the-chattanooga-city-council-just-begin-the-real-conversation-about-race-and-equality-policies-needed-says-former-top-swindon-council-official\/"},"modified":"2024-09-14T06:25:03","modified_gmt":"2024-09-14T06:25:03","slug":"sohn-did-the-chattanooga-city-council-just-begin-the-real-conversation-about-race-and-equality-policies-needed-says-former-top-swindon-council-official","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/2019\/03\/20\/sohn-did-the-chattanooga-city-council-just-begin-the-real-conversation-about-race-and-equality-policies-needed-says-former-top-swindon-council-official\/","title":{"rendered":"Sohn: Did the Chattanooga City Council just begin the real conversation about race and equality policies needed, says former top Swindon council official."},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Although the pace of change has been slow, the long history of Black Tunisian cultural resistance, as well as grassroots pressure, has made some inroads against racism<\/strong> \u2014 the most visible of which is the civil society<\/strong> push that in 2018 led the Tunisian parliament to pass a law criminalizing racial discrimination, the first such legislation in the Arab world.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The <\/span>recent BLM protests are the latest example of how post-revolutionary Black Tunisian activism has brought repressed issues of race<\/strong> and racism<\/strong> to the surface.<\/p>\n

Now, the work<\/strong> of urgently integrating anti-racism<\/strong> into the civil society<\/strong> agenda continues \u2014 as part of a broader struggle to ensure Tunisia<\/a>\u2019s ongoing transition to a more democratic, egalitarian society<\/strong> in which equal rights for minority populations are upheld.
\nI made sure to say that I wanted to talk<\/strong> about my experiences<\/strong> with racism<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

It felt taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong>, at first, to type the string of words into Google<\/a>: \u00abBlack woman therapist Toronto<\/a>.\u00bb I sent emails to the first few therapists I found but didn\u2019t get a response.<\/p>\n

More professionals in the industry are learning that when it comes to mental health we cannot exclude the effects of racism<\/strong>, homophobia, Islamophobia, bigotry and the whole list.<\/p>\n

Sonny Berenson, a therapist who has worked as an artist and community facilitator in Toronto<\/a>, believes that \u00abit is totally fair for clients to ask the racial or ethnic background of a therapist,\u00bb including a therapist\u2019s understanding and experience with culture, racism<\/strong>, sexism, homophobia, transphobia in their practice.<\/p>\n

We try to remove the stigma that makes it taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> and look instead at how porn affects the brain, and how it impacts relationships and society<\/strong>. \u00bbWe are anti-porn and also definitely anti-shame.<\/p>\n

As for the politics of anti-racism<\/strong>, Jilani believes that voters should focus on the substantive ways that a politician\u2019s actions affect marginalized groups. \u00bbAs obnoxious, offensive, and racist<\/strong> as it is to dress up in a Klan hood and don blackface, these are symbolic acts,\u00ab he writes. \u00bbNortham did not promote or pursue policy decisions to harm the lives<\/strong> of African Americans.<\/p>\n

This is how racism<\/strong> works.<\/p>\n

As such, darker skinned black people<\/strong> can experience both racism<\/strong> and colorism<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

This subject remains taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong>, as colorism<\/strong> is the result of centuries of white supremacy in America, where lightness of skin has associations with wealth and power.<\/p>\n

That so many Americans impacted by racism<\/strong> can also be impacted by colorism<\/strong> is an issue rarely discussed, but the impacts are profound.<\/p>\n

Other unacceptable conversations include drugs, sex and parenting techniques, with Brits going as far as to say discussing these \u2018taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong>\u2019 subjects leaves them feeling<\/strong> \u2018anxious\u2019 and \u2018nervous\u2019.<\/p>\n

I grew up in south-east London<\/a> \u2013 in an Indian-Punjabi household \u2013 not far from where the black teenager Stephen Lawrence was killed by white racist<\/strong> thugs in 1993 while waiting for a bus. \u00bb He was only five years older than I was, and his murder left a mark on my generation. \u00bb The old British National Party bookshop was in the same town as my secondary school. \u00bb Racism was the backdrop to my teenage years. \u00bb But then, for a brief moment, things<\/strong> looked as if they might be changing. \u00bb My son was born five years ago, when British society<\/strong> seemed to be embracing diversity and multiculturalism. \u00bb Barack Obama<\/a> was president of the US. \u00bb I dreamed that my baby might grow up in a better world than mine, perhaps even a post-racial one. \u00bb<\/p>\n

\"\"I have spent the last few years investigating the tumorous growth of this brand of intellectual racism<\/strong>. \u00bb Not the racist<\/strong> thugs who confront us in plain sight, but the well-educated ones in smart suits, the ones with power. \u00bb And like Mehler, I\u2019ve encountered tight networks, including academics at the world\u2019s leading universities, who have sought to shape public debates around race<\/strong> and immigration, gently nudging into acceptability the view that \u00abforeigners\u00bb are by their very nature a threat because we are fundamentally different. \u00bb<\/p>\n

After the second world war, race<\/strong> science gradually became taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong>. \u00bb But one of the key people<\/strong> to have kept his racial worldview intact, Mehler learned, was a shadowy figure called Roger Pearson, who is in his 90s today . \u00bb Pearson had been an officer in the British Indian army and then, in the 1950s, worked as managing director of a group of tea gardens in what was then known as East Pakistan<\/a>, now Bangladesh<\/a>. \u00bb It was around this time<\/strong> that he began publishing newsletters, printed in India<\/a>, exploring issues of race<\/strong>, science and immigration. \u00bb<\/p>\n

The public may have assumed that scientific racism<\/strong> was dead, but the racists were always active under the radar<\/p>\n

They could review and comment upon each other\u2019s work<\/strong>,\u00bb Mehler tells me. \u00bb \u00abIt was almost like discovering this whole little world inside academia.\u00bb These were the people<\/strong> keeping scientific racism<\/strong> alive. \u00bb<\/p>\n

For those on the political extremes, it\u2019s a waiting game. \u00bb If they can survive and maintain their networks, it\u2019s just a matter of time<\/strong> before an entry point opens up once more. \u00bb The public may have assumed that scientific racism<\/strong> was dead, but the racists were always active under the radar. \u00bb In The Bell Curve , a notorious bestseller, US political scientist Charles Murray and psychologist Richard Herrnstein<\/a> suggested that black Americans were less intelligent than white and Asian Americans. \u00bb A review in the New York Review of Books observed that they referenced five articles from Mankind Quarterly, a journal co-founded by Pearson and Von Verschuer; they cited no fewer than 17 researchers who had contributed to the journal. \u00bb Although The Bell Curve was widely panned , Scientific American noted in 2017 that Murray was enjoying \u00aban unfortunate resurgence\u00bb. \u00bb Facing down protesters, he has been invited to give lectures on college campuses across the US. \u00bb<\/p>\n

Pearson\u2019s Mankind Quarterly remains in print, published by a thinktank calling itself the Ulster Institute for Social Research, and joined by a slew of newer publications \u2013 some of them online \u2013 looking at similar topics. \u00bb Recent articles in the journal include \u00abracism<\/strong> in a world in which racial differences exist\u00bb and links between \u00absolar radiation and IQ\u00bb. \u00bb Immigration is a recurrent theme. \u00bb<\/p>\n

\u00abWhy do we still have race<\/strong> science, given everything that happened in the 20th century?\u00bb asks US anthropologist Jonathan Marks, who has worked to combat racism<\/strong> within academia. \u00bb He answers his own question<\/strong>: \u00abBecause it is an important political issue.<\/p>\n

Some comedians believe there are limits to who can joke about what, but others say that if we value freedom of speech, no topic should be taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong>. \u00bb<\/p>\n

\u00abIn the US, and I suspect other places as well, has been a medium for engaging in ideas that might be dangerous to in a different context.\u00bbComedians like Richard Pryor<\/a> and Dick Gregory<\/a> used comedy to investigate, to interrogate our norms \u2014 our practices around race<\/strong> and racism<\/strong>. \u00bb \u00abMore recently, Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby \u00bbbroke the contract\u00ab of comedy with her internationally acclaimed performance Nanette. \u00bb<\/p>\n

For some, it’s entirely possible to find sexist and racist<\/strong> jokes funny, and to condemn sexism and racism<\/strong> on the whole. \u00bb For others, even a chuckle equates to approval. \u00bb<\/p>\n

\u00ab the only real barometer, at the end<\/strong> of the day, will always be the audience’s reaction.\u00bbThey decide whether you have the credibility and the trust to pull off a joke that’s horrific and offensive and hilarious \u2014 or not. \u00bb \u00abnews, latest-news, Taboo, Harley Breen, WIN Network<\/p>\n

Canberra<\/a> public servant Jemma Irving appears on Thursday night’s episode of Taboo, speaking about how racism<\/strong> has affected her life and her wish to protect her own children from the same treatment she has received. \u00bb On the WIN Network show, host Harley Breen asks the so-called taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> questions, breaking stereotypes and misconceptions around touchy subjects. \u00bb This week, he sits down with Jemma, 33, and three others subjected to almost everyday, incidental, ingrained acts of discrimination. \u00bb They discuss the lasting impact this almost off-hand racism<\/strong> has had on their life. \u00bb \u00bbI’ve walked into a shop and been ignored and then a woman of Anglo appearance will come in and the shop assistant will say straight away, ‘Oh, hello, can I help you?’,\u00ab Jemma said. \u00bbMy friend and I were having breakfast in the Shire and the waitress took her order and then asked her, ‘What does she want?’. \u00bb My friend said, ‘She can order for herself’ and the waitress was like, ‘Oh, I didn’t think she could speak English’. \u00bb \u00abI’ve been in a shopping centre with my daughter and someone will think I’ve pushed the pram into them and they’ll tell me to ‘Go back to where I came from’.\u00bb Jemma, as a young uni student, was also pushed over, spat on and again told to \u00abgo back to where you come from\u00bb by a drunk in Newcastle. \u00bb Even then, she was almost apologising for his behaviour, because he was intoxicated. \u00bb She says the racism<\/strong> was purely and simply based on appearances. \u00bb Not on cultural misunderstandings, because she did not know \u00abanything about my culture\u00bb. \u00bb \u00abI grew up white. \u00bb This wasn’t about cultural differences.<\/p>\n

It was only about how I Iooked,\u00bb she said. \u00bb Jemma, now a mum of two, was born in South Korea<\/a>. \u00bb She was adopted at four months from an orphanage by a white couple from Barraba in country NSW. \u00bb She said she never felt any racism<\/strong> until she moved to bigger cities. \u00bb Her adopted father was a farmer and her mother was a school teacher. \u00bb She knew she was different but felt protected, known and appreciated in her small-town community. \u00bb When she went to university and travelled more, she felt things<\/strong> shift. \u00bb It wasn’t headline-grabbing incidents of racism<\/strong>, just a sustained treatment that affected her to her core, but which she more often just brushed off. \u00bb Jemma didn’t want to ever see that behaviour visited upon her own children, especially when it was making her question her own self-worth. \u00bb \u00abWhen I became a mum, I didn’t want my kids to feel like that,\u00bb she said. \u00bb Being on Taboo was almost cathartic, she said, as she felt a kindred spirit with her fellow guests. \u00bb \u00abI just felt myself and for the first time<\/strong> I didn’t have to explain racism<\/strong>, they knew,\u00bb she said. \u00bb Jemma was contacted by the production company behind Taboo when they read an article about her and her experience of racism<\/strong>. \u00bb The executive producer also met with her in Canberra<\/a> to allay any fears she had about the show. \u00bb Jemma said appearing on the show had been a \u00ab100 per cent\u00bb positive experience and made her realise other people<\/strong>‘s racism<\/strong> was not her problem to solve but she did want to speak up and help people<\/strong> understand her reality. \u00bb<\/p>\n

This might sound taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong>, but it\u2019s something most black people<\/strong> have been on the receiving end<\/strong> of.<\/p>\n

This activity may lead us to question orthodoxies and challenge taboos<\/span><\/strong>, but that is what philosophy is all about.<\/p>\n

In fact, it considers ways to counteract racism<\/strong> and stereotyping.<\/p>\n

Now we have seen just how far some defenders of the orthodoxy will go to punish taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> violators: if you cross the ideological line, one of the most high-profile news sites in the discipline will accuse you of supporting apartheid and deny you the opportunity to respond.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s time<\/strong> to start pushing back against those who use underhanded tactics to enforce taboos<\/span><\/strong> \u2014 in philosophy and other fields.<\/p>\n

Pink motocross gear is not taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong>, but outside of a race<\/strong> track no self-respecting racer would be caught dead in pink.<\/p>\n

Since then, the presenter has set up Instagram account Mums The Word to tackle the taboos<\/span><\/strong> surrounding female fertility and pregnancy complications, especially within the BAME community.<\/p>\n

She says: “Fertility is such a taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> subject, even now.<\/p>\n

Sarah-Jane has faced her fair share of racism<\/strong> over the years \u2014 from being made to feel uncomfortable about her lips by other schoolchildren to being told she is giving “black attitude” and hearing racist<\/strong> jokes dressed up as “banter”.<\/p>\n

“Sometimes I think it\u2019s so sad we have to teach kids about racism<\/strong> but on the other hand it\u2019s a good thing.<\/p>\n

Encouraging these powerful discussions<\/strong> and creating opportunities for them to occur will begin lifting the “taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong>” associated with talking about race<\/strong> in a professional setting.<\/p>\n

Many CEOs have put out statements or made pledges to better diversify their ranks in order to assure their stakeholders they’re committed to the fight against racism<\/strong> at home and abroad.<\/p>\n

Sean Clare emerged from London<\/a> lockdown to march in a Black Lives Matter rally for racial equality and smash social taboos<\/span><\/strong>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

He said: “Racism is a subject which has been taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> to talk<\/strong> about for a while but it shouldn\u2019t be.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s been something I\u2019ve felt was taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> to talk<\/strong> about and I\u2019ve never felt comfortable doing so even though I have always had strong views on racism<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

“I see so many non-black people<\/strong> now coming out and saying they may never fully understand racism<\/strong> but they support us and stand with us.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not always about having to have experienced racism<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The 23-year-old Londoner has previously spoken out against racism<\/strong> when defending Livingston star Marvin Bartley who was subject to appalling abuse after an Edinburgh<\/a> derby during a spell at Hibs.<\/p>\n

“People can have stereotypes, microaggressions and things<\/strong> they say, think or do which they\u2019ve been brought up with and they don\u2019t quite realise that it feeds into racism<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

“I\u2019ll be the first to hold my hands up, in this time<\/strong> I\u2019ve learned so much more about racism<\/strong> than I ever have either at school or during the rest of my life.<\/p>\n

One thing is for sure: racial preferences are the final taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> of dating, and no one really knows if they\u2019re okay or not.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m here to tell you that they aren\u2019t, and they run the risk of veering into racism<\/strong>, fetishisation and the demonisation of other races.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why it\u2019s the final taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> of dating.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re now thinking \u2013 but surely a non-white person saying they\u2019d never date a white person is also racist<\/strong>? \u2013 step back and think about whether you really think white racism<\/strong> exists.<\/p>\n

He said: “All public bodies need to review their equality policies with a special regard to race<\/strong> which is still a taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> subject.<\/p>\n

“From my experience, people<\/strong> will generally discuss things<\/strong> like disability and gender, which are very important, but as soon as you mention race<\/strong> they will go quiet and defensive, so race<\/strong> is still a taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> subject and remains one of the ‘uncomfortable truths’.
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

In The School That Tried To End Racism, US educationalist Mariama Richards conducts her experiment at Glenthorne High School in south London<\/a>, which has a nearly 50\/50 make-up of white and non-white pupils.<\/p>\n

Channel 4 series The School That Tried To End Racism, challenges students to explore issues surrounding race<\/strong> and white privilege.<\/p>\n

\u2018It was clear many of the black and minority ethnic pupils have experienced racism<\/strong>,\u2019 says Dr Nicola Rollock, an academic who works on race<\/strong> relations and is an advisor on the show.<\/p>\n

Some of the minority children are in tears as they reveal instances of racism<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The School That Tried To End Racism, Thursday, 9pm, Ch4.<\/p>\n

She was talking about black-on-black violence \u2014 really any crime \u2014 that is all too often a taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> subject and one of the most uncomfortable of our many uncomfortable conversations.<\/p>\n

With police brutality in the news, parents may be wondering how to talk<\/strong> to their children about racism<\/strong> and White supremacy.<\/p>\n

So the first thing that I would also encourage parents to do is to begin to explore their own experiences<\/strong> with racism<\/strong>, potential trauma around that, how they dealt with that, how they currently feel about these experiences<\/strong>, and to get some support around that.<\/p>\n

And by doing that, they can be fully present for their kids as they help them navigate the difficult terrain of anti-Blackness and racism<\/strong> in this society<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

HN: In the United States<\/a>, one of the common racial beliefs or ideas out there is this notion that we live in a colorblind society<\/strong> in which race<\/strong> and racism<\/strong> really don\u2019t structure people<\/strong>\u2019s lived experiences<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

And so the first thing is that folks need to begin to educate themselves about the role of race<\/strong> and racism<\/strong>, and how it operates throughout history, and operates in our daily lives<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

And the other kind of racial colorblindness is this idea of not noticing or seeing racism<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important for people<\/strong> to know that they don\u2019t need to know everything, that they can be open with their child and say, \u2018I\u2019m just beginning to explore this myself, but let\u2019s have a conversation. \u2019 This allows children to know that they can have difficult conversations in the home, and that race<\/strong> is not a taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> topic.<\/p>\n

They can then also model empathy for targets of racism<\/strong>, whether it\u2019s at school or something that they hear in public.<\/p>\n

Dr. Smith, what can teachers \u2014 I\u2019m thinking specifically, teachers and educators of young children \u2014 do when they\u2019re asked questions about racism<\/strong> and police brutality?<\/p>\n

So when teachers are asked questions about racism<\/strong> and police brutality, they can first and foremost, acknowledge their question.<\/p>\n

Engage the child\u2019s current awareness of racism<\/strong> and police brutality.<\/p>\n

We know that racism<\/strong> and and perhaps police brutality in different forms\u2026 is present in .<\/p>\n

The second issue is that these discussions<\/strong> of race<\/strong>, racism<\/strong> and police brutality are emotional conversations that come up in the classroom and can sometimes go sideways \u2014 in ways that you\u2019ve never expected.<\/p>\n

Teachers can continue to gain skills on how to have these courageous conversations so that they\u2019re not doing harm to students of color, and then also to learn skills to call out racism<\/strong> or microaggressions that could actually happen in the classroom that then can further harm students of color where they feel silenced, invalidated, and not understood.<\/p>\n

I would just like to state though, that one thing about the experience of racial discrimination and racism<\/strong> that happens in the black communities \u2014 we often lean on each other and we are being both supporters but also grievers at the same time<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

And so they are able to get to the nuances of things<\/strong> like structural racism<\/strong>, whereas young kids don\u2019t understand those levels of complexity.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also the notion of listening, providing space for our children no matter what age to say what they\u2019re thinking, what they\u2019re hearing and what\u2019s making sense, and to use this opportunity to be on the lookout for internalized racism<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

No one\u2019s going to say it, but I will: You don\u2019t pay Black people<\/strong> enough \u2014 or at all \u2014 for the emotional labor and anti-racism<\/strong> work<\/strong> that some of you are asking for.<\/p>\n

If you read that first line and you\u2019re uncomfortable, this is a good first step to addressing how you\u2019re approaching Black people<\/strong> with anti-racism<\/strong> questions in 2020.<\/p>\n

Unless you\u2019ve hired the Black person you\u2019re asking to do so, we shouldn\u2019t be consulting you, your family, friends or our co-workers on what the next steps should be in your personal or professional lives<\/strong> to have accountability for race<\/strong>-related issues or to start your anti-racism<\/strong> work<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Black people<\/strong> aren\u2019t ALL experts on Anti-Racism.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Please keep in mind that some of the folks suggested identify as Black and have every right to decline to do further work<\/strong> for or with you on your anti-racism<\/strong> journey.<\/p>\n

Bonus: 15% of the proceeds from certain anti-racism<\/strong> books will be going to Anti-Racism research until June 6.<\/p>\n

A recent quote \u2014 “Anti Racism is not an identity or a checklist; it\u2019s a practice” \u2014 led me to a Youtube video titled “HOW TO USE YOUR PRIVILEGE FOR GOOD.” First off, I love the title in all caps, but the content is even better.<\/p>\n

Zara also founded The White Womxn Anti-Racism Alliance .<\/p>\n

To find trusted people<\/strong> in your network sharing resources, simply keyword search anti-racism<\/strong> on your Facebook<\/a> or other social sites.<\/p>\n

I went to a workshop with SURJ Baltimore, and two things<\/strong> really stuck with me: 1- White children notice when we don\u2019t discuss skin colors. They learn from that omission \u2014> talking about skin color is taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s so important for white children to see dynamic characters of color in stories that have nothing to do with racism<\/strong>. .<\/p>\n

Rokhaya Diallo, 42, a journalist who is also one of France<\/a>\u2019s most prominent anti-racism<\/strong> activists, said she became aware of a shared sense of race<\/strong> only after she became an adult and often found herself the only Black person in an academic or professional setting.<\/p>\n

While no one denies the racist<\/strong> history of blackface, the recent wave of scandals, cancellations, and mea culpas in connection with this controversial performative practice suggests a cultural taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> of religious proportions.<\/p>\n

Being taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong>, they tend to be taken at face value.<\/p>\n

Whether the origins of this centuries-old custom have anything to do with racism<\/strong>, however, is much debated.<\/p>\n

To ignore the moral difference between a minstrel show, in which white performers in blackface unabashedly promoted racial stereotypes, and cases like Tropic Thunder, The Office, or even Border Morris is hardly a productive way to battle racism<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

There are even cases where the assumption of racism<\/strong> is itself implicitly racist<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

What about drawing a black cartoon character while white? I would not put it past the woke to demand, in the name of “anti-racism<\/strong>,” that only artists of color should draw characters of color.<\/p>\n

I had raised the question of race<\/strong> and racism<\/strong> in Ireland<\/a>, and Cork in particular, and was abruptly told that these were all “USA issues” that I should now leave behind.<\/p>\n

I addressed many of these issues, along with the toxic history of \u2018race<\/strong> science,\u2019 in my book Taboo: Why Black Athletes Dominate Sports and Why We\u2019re Afraid to Talk About It.<\/p>\n

In essence, in an attempt to destroy the belief that Jews were a coherent \u2018race<\/strong>\u2019 with links to the Middle East, which he believed propped up anti-Jewish racism<\/strong> and gave an excuse for Jews to live in a homeland in the Middle East , he pushed the notion that Jews were converts with no ancient links.<\/p>\n

It was generally accepted that taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> topics like politics, religion and race<\/strong> were never to be discussed in the workplace \u2014 and for good reason.<\/p>\n

Bayard Love of The International Civil Rights Center and Museum asks, “Why are you engaging in this conversation about race<\/strong>? If it\u2019s just curiosity, a pet project, a desire to \u2018fit in\u2019 or not to look silly, or to feel less guilty, you might want to reconsider.” However, Love encourages those leaders who are earnest about creating real change and better understanding racism<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Bayard Love of The International Civil Rights Center and Museum asks, “Why are you engaging in this conversation about race<\/strong>? If it\u2019s just curiosity, a pet project, a desire to \u2018fit in\u2019 or not to look silly, or to feel less guilty, you might want to reconsider.” However, Love encourages those leaders who are earnest about creating real change and better understanding racism<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

It provides free educational resources and tools from scholars, activists, historians, and more to help teach everyone how to have conversations regarding race<\/strong> and racism<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Related: How Should You Be Talking With Employees About Racism?US Army Gen.<\/p>\n

“Becoming” white did not just offer opportunities, it also meant becoming part of a system of racism<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the nature of systematic racism<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The subject of sex was taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> in polite company and jokes about sex were likely to meet with condemnation, disapproval, and some form of social consequences.<\/p>\n

This is why everybody has to pay lip service to Martin Luther<\/a> King Jr. It\u2019s why every racist<\/strong> policy \u2014 and much of our policy certainly is still racist<\/strong> \u2014 has to be prefaced with yesbutofcourse language pretending that it\u2019s not and acknowledging that we all now recognize that racism<\/strong> is a Bad Thing.<\/p>\n

As a former HR executive, I understand that race<\/strong>, religion and politics are taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> subjects that we\u2019ve learned to avoid \u2013 certainly in the workplace.<\/p>\n

To find out more, search “TENA My Pelvic Floor Fitness app” or visit tena.co.uk\/agelessEnough! It\u2019s time<\/strong> to end<\/strong> the denial, pierce the taboos<\/span><\/strong>, raise consciousness about the problem, and confront and criminalize anti-Black racism<\/strong> and discrimination in Morocco.<\/p>\n

Racism exists everywhere in the world but varies according to the context.
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

In the Moroccan context, anti-black racism<\/strong> is pronounced, widespread, and largely denied by non-Blacks despite Morocco\u2019s participation in the trans-Saharan slave trade for 13 centuries, and the socio-economic marginalization of the country\u2019s Black minority until the present day.<\/p>\n

At the most basic level of daily life, local activists combatting anti-Black racism<\/strong> in Morocco point out that contempt towards Black Arabs and Black Berbers in Morocco is casually and prominently manifested in the words “white” or non-Black Moroccans\u2014without reflection\u2014 commonly use to refer to Morocco\u2019s minority Black population: Al-Abd , Al-Khadem , Al-Hartani and Al-Azzi , Al-Kahlouch .<\/p>\n

Yet, many Moroccans deny the charge, utilize the words frequently and freely, and claim that racism<\/strong> doesn\u2019t exist in Morocco.<\/p>\n

Morocco is a diverse country and a post-slave society<\/strong>, yet diversity, the history of slavery in Morocco, and the racism<\/strong> and discrimination that is generally inherent in post-slave societies are not taught in schools, adequately addressed in law, nor discussed within most non-Black Moroccan families.<\/p>\n

In addition, as if racism<\/strong> and discrimination can only occur within formal institutions and laws designed to segregate and discriminate \u2013 Jim Crow, Apartheid \u2013, the Moroccan monarchy and government counter that Moroccan laws criminalize any discrimination between citizens on the basis of colour, and all jobs are open to all groups within the framework of equality.<\/p>\n

When pressed about racism<\/strong> and racial discrimination beyond that, authorities assert that activists are inventing problems and promoting fitna .<\/p>\n

In 2012, the Moroccan government denied an application to form an association to combat anti-Black racism<\/strong> by claiming that the concept of race<\/strong> does not apply to Moroccan society<\/strong> so racism<\/strong> could not exist there.<\/p>\n

Activists also wonder if the monarchy is concerned about the emergence of a full-throttled anti-Black racism<\/strong> social movement that could bleed into the Western Sahara\/Southern Provinces conflict that Morocco has been engaged in since the 1970s as most Black Moroccans live in the southern part of Morocco.<\/p>\n

Yet, there are national and family silences about slavery and its aftermath \u2013 racism<\/strong> \u2013 in Morocco.<\/p>\n

The topics are taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

They have experienced virulent racism<\/strong> and violence in Morocco.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

These efforts have yet to yield a civil rights\u2019 social movement devoted to ending anti-Black racism<\/strong> in Morocco, nor even formal civil society<\/strong> associations to advance the same cause.<\/p>\n

In contrast, a handful of formal associations have emerged to combat racism<\/strong> in Morocco against Black migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Though, as noted, in 2012, the Moroccan government denied an application to form an association to combat anti-Black racism<\/strong> by claiming that the concept of race<\/strong> does not apply to Moroccan society<\/strong> so racism<\/strong> could not exist there.<\/p>\n

In addition, a few high-profile acts of violence \u2013 including murder \u2013 against Sub-Saharan Africans in Morocco prompted the emergence of campaigns and organizations combatting this form of virulent racism<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Quatabou, anti-Black racism<\/strong> in Morocco feels like it began at the dawn of time<\/strong> and it will be difficult to change.<\/p>\n

To stop these verbal assaults, we must break the taboos<\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Quatabou notes, progress will require piercing the Moroccan social taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> against discussing slavery and racism<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

“Slavery and anti-Black racism<\/strong> are taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> subjects in Morocco.<\/p>\n

Moroccans are in huge denial and feel that racism<\/strong> does not exist in Morocco because one, we are all Muslims and Muslims are all brothers; and two, they only acknowledge regional prejudices while minimizing the legacy of slavery and anti-Black racism<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Non-Black Moroccans are not ready for this kind of debate, but we must have it and it\u2019s time<\/strong> they realized that! At a minimum, we need a law criminalizing anti-Black racism<\/strong> in Morocco.”<\/p>\n

In response to a question about the lack of mobilization and organizations in Morocco battling against anti-Black racism<\/strong> towards indigenous Black Moroccans, Ms.<\/p>\n

However, since the Black Lives Matter movement some black Moroccans have begun to speak out against anti-Black racism<\/strong> in Morocco.<\/p>\n

The Moroccan Comedian, writer, and actor Mohamed Bassou, at times, has had to deal with abhorrent racism<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Black Moroccans are outcasts, and it\u2019s very difficult for us to gain visibility or climb the social ladder\u2026 For a debate about anti-Black racism<\/strong> to begin in Morocco, there must be a recognition of the extent of the problem.<\/p>\n

State and society<\/strong> must recognize the existence<\/strong> of black Moroccans and then work<\/strong> to end<\/strong> racism<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Racism has been a constant obstacle to harmony within her family, so much so that her mother was cut off from her family back in Morocco for over three decades for making the decision to marry a black man.<\/p>\n

Griss-Bembe was shocked and traumatized by the vividness of racism<\/strong> in Morocco:<\/p>\n

“Again, a root cause of racism<\/strong> is ignorance and the denial of historical processes that made nations what they have become.<\/p>\n

Through my work<\/strong>, I was truly hoping to connect communities together, but many black Moroccans deny the very existence<\/strong> of racism<\/strong> or the importance of dealing with racism<\/strong> as an existing and prevailing issue in Morocco.<\/p>\n

I believe that black Moroccans have a big responsibility in downplaying the racism<\/strong> they experience every day.<\/p>\n

That scourge is racism<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

To say that there is no racism<\/strong> in Morocco, would be lying to ourselves.<\/p>\n

They want to reform their society<\/strong>, confront and end<\/strong> anti-Black racism<\/strong> in Morocco.<\/p>\n

As noted above, an effort to formally establish an anti-Black racism<\/strong> association was denied by the Moroccan government in 2012.<\/p>\n

In 2013, the Moroccan parliament, for the first time<\/strong>, raised the issue of racism<\/strong> on the floor.<\/p>\n

However, the issue of racism<\/strong> toward black Moroccans and black African migrants risks being used as a measure of political opportunism and a smokescreen, a process familiar to the powerful actors of the Moroccan regime.” In 2018, the Istiqlal party made a similar effort.<\/p>\n

The Moroccan monarchy and government have never officially acknowledged that anti-Black racism<\/strong> exists and something must be done about it.<\/p>\n

Some teachers in Morocco are the vectors of some of the most virulent anti-Black racism<\/strong> in the country.<\/p>\n

Laws need to be passed that criminalize anti-Black racism<\/strong> in Morocco.<\/p>\n

Moroccan slavery and anti-black racism<\/strong> need to be taught in schools and discussed within society<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Despite formal equality under the law for all Moroccan citizens, this will probably take affirmative actions by the government to limit structural and institutional racism<\/strong> and over-come slave legacies.<\/p>\n

Pierce the taboos<\/span><\/strong> and silence.<\/p>\n

Raise awareness, raise awareness, and further raise awareness about anti-Black Racism in Morocco.<\/p>\n

Finally, as a final note of encouragement for non-Black Moroccans to abandon anti-Black racism<\/strong>, it is worth mentioning that psychologically, “white” Moroccans, who practice racism<\/strong>, at least in part because it feels good to look down on the “other,” may suffer from it as much as their black victims: “When a person is deeply invested in his group\u2019s dominance, he has a euphoric \u2018on top of the world\u2019 feeling<\/strong>, while in reality he is in a state of self-inflation.<\/p>\n

And underneath may lie the fear that he cannot live up to the constructed ideal of his own perfection.”As uprisings for Black lives<\/strong> spread around the world following the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis<\/a> police officer at the end<\/strong> of May, dozens of people<\/strong> took to the streets of the Tunisian capital as well, to protest anti-Black racism<\/strong> \u2014 a long-time<\/strong> taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> in the country.<\/p>\n

It was markedly more diverse than previous anti-racism<\/strong> demonstrations in the country, drawing many non-Black participants who came to support Black Tunisians, some of whom are descendants of enslaved people<\/strong>, and sub-Saharan Africans.<\/p>\n

There is no single explanation for the reluctance to respond to the systemic violence and racism<\/strong> directed against Black people<\/strong> in Tunisia<\/a>, as well as in the rest of the Arab world.<\/p>\n

One significant complicating factor, however, is the history of slavery in the region, which remains a highly contentious social and political taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Even after Tunisia<\/a> won independence from French colonial rule in 1956, subsequent governments continued to deny racism<\/strong> \u2014 an attitude that continues to be the norm.<\/p>\n

The text of this article was generated by the Breaking The Silence<\/a> system that collected 33<\/strong> news articles posted on the web from January 2019 to September 2020 and clustered for the taboo subject of racism<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Although the pace of change has been slow, the long history of Black Tunisian cultural resistance, as well as grassroots pressure, has made some inroads against racism \u2014 the most visible of which is the civil society push that in 2018 led the Tunisian parliament to pass a law criminalizing racial discrimination, the first such […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":313,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[44,46,186,580,99],"tags":[737,743,741,597,75,715,738,739,657,190,594,187,188,192,742,102,193,189,740,665,59,207,244,461,191,84],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/458"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=458"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/458\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1358,"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/458\/revisions\/1358"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/313"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=458"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=458"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=458"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}