For our last project we wore a noticeable corporeal marker. We walked around and recorded any reactions we had. I had a hard time with my marker but one of the things that I ended up wearing was a mask that says “Racist People Suck” . When I first saw the mask at the store I didn't think anything of it. I was like “I want that. duh yeah they do, some people may like it” But I never thought about anything negative that may come along with me wearing it. The first time I wore the mask out it was to a hockey game with my roommate. I wore it on my way to the arena no problem, but as soon as I got inside I saw someone read my mask and it dawned on me that not everyone is going to be okay with it, which seems stupid because of course there are people are the racists..that suck. But in my head Ohio University is a safe space and that wasn't something I needed to worry about. But I remembered the Make America Great Again and Trump 2020 flags, I remembered the Abort Black Babies signs, the nights at Red Brick where I heard white boys throwing around the N word in a multitude of ways and I remembered the small discriminatory things said to me during my time here. And suddenly I didn't feel safe, but I didn't take the mask off just yet. Me and my roommate made our way to our seats and while I was a little anxious because I was aware more people read it, it wasn't enough for me to take it off. But then I heard the words I dread to hear. “Please stand for our National Anthem”. And while I don't believe in the National Anthem I don't mind listening to it and I don't judge others for saying it, so that's not why I dread it. I dread the National Anthem because I know that any second now someone is going to give me death glare because while everyone else there is standing proud, hand over heart, I’m sitting down awkwardly staring at the ground. I believe in my stance on the National Anthem so much that I don't think I could ever be peer pressured to stand. But what I did feel pressured to do was take the mask off and switch to the extra standard blue mask I had in my pocket after I heard mumbles of the “black girl that’s sitting” and seeing fingers obviously pointed my way. I went to a graduation for the Marines during Trump’s presidency and didn't stand up and was a little scared but was otherwise fine. So why did I feel so anxious and like I shouldnt wear it here on my mostly liberal college campus? When I got home that night I thought about it and talked to my roommate about it because it really upset me.
We came to the conclusion that my anxiety came less from a place of fear or being uncomfortable and more from feeling like my safe space was being violated. I’ve talked before about how much this campus means to me and how I consider it my home. I’ve always felt free to be myself and express myself in any way and without that much judgement. But wearing a mask with a semi-politically statement on it that I knew could incite anger and confrontation made me scared to be myself and express my beliefs. In class we talk about the importance of safety in an environment and how that changes the way that we see ourselves and how we are perceived by others. It occurred to me while doing the corporeal marker project that just by being black on campus that created a sense of “unsafeness” because of the current climate of our world.So naturally I remembered our discussions in class about the article Walking While Black by Garnette Cadogan(which is a whole post in itself) but most importantly. Spatial Justice and Spatial Claims. Spatial claims are the right “to be and become”. “To use spatial claims also include rights to be safe in space regardless of gender, race, sexual- orientation, and other aspects of identity” (pg.6). Wearing the mask reminded me about how at times I feel like I shouldn't be in for example the Marine graduation, Athens or on campus or in a certain place because of the color of my skin and my beliefs.
In this post I talked about a very small amount of my experiences as a black student on a predominantly white campus. And thankfully I haven't had anything that went beyond and uncomfortable scary confrontation with a random stranger. But there are many people who have experienced much worse. Below I linked a video that interviews individuals who have faced racial bias on a college campus, and discusses ways that people can recognize bias in themselves in certain situations and how to further navigate them. Thanks for reading/watching :)
Colleges and Universities Have a Racial Profiling Problem
Cited:
Ky, thank you for your post. I think you raise a lot of poignant issues, both from the readings and your own personal experience. I also really enjoyed the video you shared, thank you for including it.
ReplyDeleteSomething I found very powerful in the video you shared was one of the interviewee's statements on existing in public space; they mentioned a "systemic hostility to People of Colour" in "spaces that [POC] should not be in." I think that raises the question...what are spaces that POC should not be in? In a world of globalised white supremacy, I think what the interviewee was alluding to was the incongruency of POC and public space: public space does not seem to include or support non-white folk.
It's interesting, because not only is public space designed around Eurocentric, white ideals, but these ideals are perpetrated by white supremacy and the internalised belief that racialisation is impurity. This belief is integrated in society so that no explicit rule has to enforce it, but rather white supremacy reinforces and upholds itself.
For example, there don't need to be rules that explicitly restrict Black peoples' use of public space, the restriction is implemented by the underlying racist notion in non-Black others that Black folks should not be visible in public space. This is evident in your video when one interviewee suggests to white viewers, "Would I be calling the police [on non-white people in public space] if this person were white?" It is the internalised belief that Black and brown people do not belong in public space that perpetuates white people to call the police on POC for minding their own business in public space. No rule suggests that POC cannot exist there, but the internalisation of white supremacy encourages the surveillance of Black and brown bodies.
Another interviewee in your video states that they constantly have to prove why they are where they happen to be. I think your mention of spatial rights and claims from our readings hits this point right on the nose: People of Colour constantly have to justify themselves in public space, because in a "post"-colonialist world, public space is not treated as an undeniable right for non-white people.
The last interviewee in your video mentions that if their experiences in public space had more compassion, they would feel safer and more comfortable. I think that it is our societal duty to foster a sense of belonging for all people, regardless of identity, and to do this we begin by having compassion for everyone, especially in public arenas where so many people are excluded.
Thanks so much for your insight in this issue, Ky. Great post.
Hello Ky,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing your experience and thoughts. I particularly appreciated that, through your experience, you made a thought-provoking connection between markers and symbols when talking about your mask and the National Anthem. I was thinking that your decision to remove the body marker during the National Anthem, while also remaining seated, can help us reflect how body markers and symbols as well play a part in how we feel in places and spaces. Furthermore, I was left thinking about how actions and symbols that may be considered -depending on people’s positionality, too- “politically incorrect” may disturb, as well as who/what kind of disturbances are more or less tolerated and justified. Finally, that, I think, can be seen also in your reflection and how you point out that you have been able to be and express yourself “without that much judgement”. Indeed, I consider that this is precisely one of the things that I felt about body markers. In my own experience, and as I mentioned during my discussion in the assignment, I felt that, because of my skin color, I was wearing a double body marker, and one became even more accentuated because of the presence of the other. Then, as also discussed, some body markers are not chosen, but intrinsically and automatically put on us because of race/gender/social expectations and normativity. I think that, to some extent, this is also part of what invisibilizes the stark contrasts and social inequalities that govern our lives. The video that you shared is but one example of how these markers, even though ‘not’ perceived, or not acknowledged, are behind actions like race biased police calls, thus, the effects and terrible consequences that they have on Black and non-white people. It might seem that those markers are not there, for many, but in reality, the effects that they have on those who are labeled, policed, or constricted by those markers, is very real.
Hey Ky,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your story and this content. You provide a ton of examples when describing the experiences of yourself and others.
I am (not really) surprised (but a little grossed out) that they would play the National Anthem at a collegiate level non-National tournament. It is just a mere performance and meaningless--just as they would play it in schools.
I hope someday so many people sit that they stop playing it and stop singing praise to a 'nation' built on hate and theft.
Acts like sitting for the national anthem, or you wearing your "racist people suck" fact-mask make (white) people uncomfortable. Addressing past and privilege is uncomfortable and (white) people refuse to settle in discomfort/truth.
These symbols are powerful and need to be both protected and widespread. No one should feel unsafe in their activism--nor their daily life.
Thanks again for sharing! Racist people suck!
Hi Ky,
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to say I think this was a great blog post. I hate that no matter how safe of a space you are in, and even a college campus that you consider to be home, you still feel anxious and uncomfortable in situations where others don’t think twice about going.
One thing I thought was interesting about your blog post was that you chose to wear the mask that said “racist people suck” which to me does not seem like a very controversial opinion at all but the fact that you saw and heard people upset with you for your mask and your take on the anthem was crazy to me. I think this is really important to bring to light, especially in Athens, that no matter how friendly and accepting of a campus we think Ohio University is, there are still groups of people who feel unsafe and uncomfortable.
I think this was a great action that reminded me of our talk about resistance can be just existing how you normally do in public spaces, and made me think of our reading Walking While Black, and that people of color do not always feel safe and welcome in places by simple just existing in those places. I think just by being at the game in your “racist people suck” mask was a small performance of resistance so I loved reading your post and hearing about your experiences.
Hi Ky,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing this post!
You raised a lot of good points – especially about this campus. For an institution that “values” diversity, it’s clear from your experience (and others too, I’m sure) that Ohio University is incredibly discriminatory.
Something that hasn’t been sitting well with me is the “Forever Ohio” campaign. Literally everywhere I look on campus I see “Include” or “Make Respect Visible!”. The messages are unavoidable on campus. I think that at surface level, these are not controversial messages. But looking at the timeline in which these were put up – incredibly questionable. This campaign was primarily born this fall, after the Black Lives Matter movement resurgence occurred in response to systemic racism, police brutality, and inequity. Not only do these slogans not condemn systemic racism that we see here on campus, but they also demand respect for all. Even those spewing hate speech or being blatantly racist or discriminatory on campus. If the university isn’t condemning racism on campus during a very visible social movement, then they’re facilitating more discrimination. I really do think this is explicitly racist. This is obviously just one example of many, though. You gave a multitude of examples – thanks again for sharing, Ky!
wow this saintly however ,I love your enter plus nice pics might be part personss negative love being defrent mind total poeple , Social Media Platform
ReplyDelete