DAY 11: What is Environmental Racism?

 People of color disproportionately live in neighborhoods with environmental hazards. And no one cares enough to fix them, the people with the resources, that is. Think Flint, Michigan and the lead problem. I also read that in poor neighborhoods in New York City, there are less trash bins on the street because the city doesn't want to pick them up. So there is more garbage on the streets. 

Day 10 How Your Race Affects Your Health

 I have heard the disparities in health between White and Black folk. I am aware of the stereotypes that lower income people eat a less healthy diet. Maybe this is because in urban areas, there aren't good grocery stores where fresh foods can be purchased. I know the food pantry I volunteered at passed out canned and processed food, because it kept on the shelf. There was talk of improving the nutritional value at one point and pancakes and syrup were removed as staples. I think this is changing in my community because bountiful Victory Gardens were started around town last year, and the food delivery program is able to deliver more fresh and frozen foods, thus improving the quality. 

Maybe there are less doctors working with POC or in communities where they live. This brings me to COVID and data is pretty clear that Blacks are dying at higher rates than their White counterparts. In spite of this, there is some understandable fear among certain groups about taking a new vaccine. This dates back the known studies Blacks were unknowingly involved in including the  Tuskegee study and the case Henrietta Lacks, whose cervical cells were used in perpetuity without her knowledge or consent. I wasn't able to finish the book that was written on this, but I find it curious how Johns Hopkins University spins her legacy:

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/henriettalacks/

If that isn't systemic racism (lack of acknowledgement or remorse for a wrongdoing towards a Black woman) I don't know what is. The first paragraph contains the following: At the time, The Johns Hopkins Hospital was one of only a few hospitals to treat poor African-Americans. This was the best medical treatment available. Way to legitimize what you did! 

Postscript: If I had actually listened to the suggested Ted Talk (https://www.ted.com/talks/david_r_williams_how_racism_makes_us_sick) I would have had a better understanding on this topic. Racism itself causes health problems. Dr. Williams found a way to measure discrimination and found that the more acts of racism the person was exposed to, the more health problems and earlier death.  Racism causes stress and mental health issues which lead to poor health. Discrimination in health care exists as well, so that POC get lesser quality health care

Day 9 Racial Disparities in Homelessness and Housing

Consider the data — in McDonough County:

• 23.3% of the population lives in poverty.  

• African Americans make up about 4.7% of the general population but represent 53.77% of Macomb citizens living in poverty. 

One factor in homelessness is called network impoverishment. Network impoverishment is when you live in predominantly poor neighborhoods or when you don't have people with resources who can help you when you have a financial emergency. POC have less accumulated wealth. Traditionally this has been rooted in home ownership. So if you don't have your own emergency fund, and don't have family or friends who can help you out, chances are higher you will end up homeless if a medical emergency, layoff, pandemic, etc. happens.

I was technically homeless with a young child once in 1991. I moved in with somebody temporarily and stayed for 30 years. I wasn't overly worried, well maybe I was, about staying homeless, because I knew my parents would always help me out, and often did. I just hated asking. Economic security is something I probably take for granted, but try not to. I have spent most of my career working with people at or below the poverty line, so I have seen firsthand what homelessness and housing insecurity looks like.

Day 7 and 8

  ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) is a new term to me, and I am shocked (?) to know the county I live in has a higher ALICE rate than surrounding counties, which seem poorer on the surface (don't have a large university, appear to have less business, more people walking around that look down and out). Maybe the key word here is Employed. This group is identified as earning over the Federal Poverty Level, but not enough to cover the basic cost of living. And remember, the cost of living in central Illinois is pretty low, despite the way people complain about taxes.

Perhaps our county has a disproportionate number of underemployed and underpaid workers. Not surprising this hits POC harder.

Segregation is still a thing. I don't see it as much as it probably exists. In housing for sure, as the lower your income the fewer options you have with regard to housing. Our public schools are combined attendance centers so everyone attends the same schools according to grade level. This presumably evens the playing field in education. However, I have anecdotal information that some children are treated differently and they happen to be Black.

Day 6 Levels of Racism

 Since I have been aware but  not really thought about my role in the levels of racism, I will briefly summarize my understanding. 

Individual forms of racism include internalized racism which is what we feel inside about race, including POC who may begin to believe they are inferior because of experiences and attitudes that put down their race. Interpersonal racism is what we encounter between individuals. Most media and discussion focuses on these more easily understood and seen forms of racism. 

Focusing on the individuals negates the presence of institutional and structural racism. These are the systemic forms of racism that keep certain groups out of housing, educational, and occupational settings. Just because we had a Black president or some POC are successful doesn't mean everyone has the same opportunities or doesn't encounter barriers White people never think about. Even though anti-discrimination laws are in effect it doesn't eliminate subtle forms of voter suppression, hiring practices, educational and economic disparities, health outcomes, the list goes on. 

Just in my work world, there are no people of color in my department and few throughout the organization. None in senior leadership, heck that is heavily male dominated, too. 

DAY 5 The Impact of Racial Trauma on Black, Indigenous and other People of Color

 My vacation derailed my work on the racial equity challenge. Again, I have the privilege of putting race issues on hold while I frolic about having fun. 

The Day 5 challenge deals with oppression, internalized racism, mental health, and imposter syndrome to name a few. A few personal thoughts as I read through the materials provided:

I've never worried about walking down the street, in the street, or riding my bike and being stopped and asked for ID. I have been aware for decades that this happens to POC. Our own police chief made a public comment not that long ago about people who live in "this" community need to follow the norms, like using sidewalks. I've lived in "this" community most of my life, and I walk in the street and "jaywalk" whenever I please.  There was a study done about what happens when a White man walks down the street carrying a legal weapon, and what happens to a Black man doing the same thing. I'm sure you know the results. When I have been stopped by police while driving, I usually get a warning. I've never been searched, made to lie on the ground, had a gun pulled on me, or God forbid shot. 

While reading the article, "The Link Between Racism and PTSD" I thought of my son's new friend, Brandon, whom I met in Florida. Cal had been telling us about his friend who lives next door, and I saw him leaving his apartment one day, and I cheerfully asked if he was Brandon and introduced myself. He looked startled when I knew his name. He later joked to Cal that he thought I was the FBI. Cal told us he is into guns and likes having an apartment that faces the parking lot so he can monitor who is coming and going. Brandon happens to be Black. The article helped me understand that being a Black male he has undoubtedly experienced a multitude of racist acts on the high end, and microaggressions, on the lower end, which can result in PTSD symptoms and even paranoia. 

Day 4 White Fragility

I took the White Fragility quiz by Beacon Press. No, I have not read the book below. 

 Your score is 10 or below. You exhibit some white fragility traits.

Don't worry, we all do to some degree. This quiz has helped you identify underlying assumptions that you hold about race that engender these feelings, behaviors, and claims you make when confronted. What can you do now? You should read Robin DiAngelo's White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism to learn what you can do to engage more constructively.

Today's readings on Common Racist Attitudes and Behaviors made me aware that throwing up my hands or giving up is not an option for people of color. It shouldn't be an option for me. I'm also prone to silence, as I value acceptance and not speaking my mind is complicit agreement. 

Day 3 What is Privilege

 I took the privilege self-assessment and shared with my siblings and spouse. I scored 61 out of 100 privilege points. Many of the non-privileges I have come from being female, however being a cisgender, straight female has many privileges. I didn't necessarily have an economically or financially privileged upbringing, though it wasn't poverty. My parents say we were close to the poverty line, but they always prioritized saving and investing. They lived well below their means and still do. Some of the items on the assessment reminded me of difficult times I went through, that I have minimized as a coping mechanism, but have ultimately made me stronger. 

I've had the feeling most of my life that I have slid under the radar. Of course, my Whiteness in a Midwestern town allows this to happen. The last few years I have been speaking out more on something I unfortunately learned about first hand: being a suicide loss survivor. I just don't feel the confidence to speak out about racism and sexism in the same way. I am grateful to those who do, and am happy to support them. One thing this racial equity challenge suggested is simply saying, "That's wrong" when I encounter offensive behavior or words. I'll let you know how that goes. 

Day 2 Understanding and Reflecting on Our Bias

 I took the Implicit Association Test (IAT) for trans/cisgender and Biden/Reagan. While I like to think my attitudes are on the "right" (or left) side, the quizzes show my bias is ingrained heavily in me. I scored in the range of moderately favoring Cisgender people and moderately favoring Biden over Reagan. I honestly thought my disdain for Reagan would play out as more pronounced. Just goes to show you we can't shed our skin as easily as we thought. 

I know a White person who tries to be open and non-judgmental, but always brings up the same examples from their experience that they think goes against stereotypes but in fact reinforces the blinders of White Privilege. Not that I do any better. 

It's honestly uncomfortable to face this idea that I am hurting people unintentionally. But this just proves the fact that our culture is so systemically biased that we Whites can't begin to know how to dismantle it. That's why it bothers me when White people are leading anti-racist movements and purporting to speak for Black Americans. 

It almost makes me want to throw up my hands and not even try. When I saw the list of other IAT quizzes I was terrified to take the ones dealing with race. I vaguely remember taking one years (?) ago and the results were not flattering. 

Maybe I can just continue to learn and grow. I know I want to advocate and support but it's pretty clear I am bound to fail. 

21-Day Racial Equity Challenge

 Day 1: Personal Racial Identity

• When did you first become aware of your racial identity?
• What messages did you learn about race from your school and family? Did they align with what you’ve seen in your life?
• When has how others perceived your racial identity affected how they treat you?

 

I probably never thought about my racial identity until college. Until then, I considered myself “normative,” “American,” “Mid-Western” etc.

 

It was always understood in my family to never use the N-word. My parents enjoyed entertaining college students from different backgrounds and rented a room to a female student who was Black. I never thought anything of it. My brother had Black friends, but I did not. Looking back, I have tried to “justify” this by confirming that there were no Black girls in my grade in elementary school, even though my school was the most diverse with the possible exception of the University lab school. I checked my senior class, and there were no Black girls among a class of 220. Obviously, the majority were White. There were boys my age who were Black, and I considered them cool, nice, athletic and normal. I don’t remember witnessing any overt racism, though I likely would not have recognized it (?).

 

My parents have recounted the racism they encountered when they moved to our small town, including a real estate agent who tried to steer them away from certain neighborhoods, and when they did pick a house, told them they would want to move “up” at some point (they never did). They wanted us to stay in the school with the lowest socio-economic students even when we could have gone to another elementary because they liked the teachers.

 

I don’t  think anyone ever treated me differently because of my race, but I wondered on the inside if anyone resented me for being White. I remember seeing a book called “Black Like Me” around my house, and I’ve wondered what it would be like to be Black. I remember movies like “Lillies of the Valley” and “To Sir With Love” and thought Sidney Portier was very handsome, but I didn’t know what the big deal was about.

 

Feb. 2, 2021

 

This struck me at just the right time. It hits the right note of how I am feeling these days. Funny how true when they say the lead up to the anniversary of a death is heavier than the actual day.