Session 2: The Myth of Multiculturalism

As a kid and youth I was taught the myth of multiculturalism and tolerance: the way to solve racism is to see everyone as equal and the same.  So I tried really hard to do so.  It worked pretty well for me through High School, where everyone else seemed to buy in to this myth as well.  And then I got to college, and everything changed.  Suddenly, people were talking about race in a different way than before.  Instead of lovingly poking fun at each other's differences as we did in high school, conversations around race were full of tension.  Articles went back and forth between a group of white people on campus and people of color from the multicultural dorm on campus where I lived.  I remember one in particular that suggested people of color be sprinkled around campus instead of being primarily placed in one dorm.  I remember hearing a story about a girl who had to sleep in the lobby of the multicultural dorm because she felt so unsafe in her own dorm.  I remember not totally understanding why she would ever feel this way.  Then towards the end of Sophomore year there was a big movement of people from the dorm who fought to call out racism at the school by wearing shirts to some event that said "racism exist at Oxy".  I remember wearing a shirt because a friend told me to so, but not fully understanding the complexities of the situation. 

Beyond that, during my two years in this dorm I remained silent for the most part in this debate.  I didn't yet have the understanding of race and white supremacy in our society to stand with my fellow dorm mates.  At the same time, I was convinced that I understood race.  I remember friends taking classes on whiteness, and convincing myself I didn't need that class.  I think secretly I was just terrified of my own racism. 

What I wish I had known then is that racism is not just a personal prejudice and individual act of discrimination, and that seeing everyone as equal is actually not the answer to ending racism.  Rather, it is "a system, a web of interlocking, reinforcing institutions: political economic, social, cultural, legal, military, educational, all our instituions. As a system, racism affects every aspect of life in a country," as Elizabeth Martinez explains in "What is White Supremacy".  By attempting to see everyone as equal we negate the fact that the system is not equal!  Instead, we must recognize the inherent privileges of being white.  From there we can begin to do the work of playing our part to end racism.  This is at the core of anti-racism.

Chris Crass further explains anti-racism in his article "Occupy Opportunities for Collective Liberation": "By “anti-racist,” we mean engaging with white people to develop anti-racist politics, commitment, and practice as well as developing and strengthening powerful multiracial alliances and collaboration. We do this by taking action on issues impacting white communities, such as economic and environmental injustice, in ways that foreground white supremacy in the problem, anti-racist/multiracial movement building in the solution, and joining with and/or supporting similar struggles in communities of color. We also do this by joining organizing in communities of color and developing a strategy with organizers and leaders of color for bringing white people in large numbers into such struggles."  Check out his piece to learn more about Catalyst framing of white anti-racist organizing.

Some notes on white supremacy: Catalyst project sees racism as the same thing as white supremacy.  They use the Challenging White Supremacy Workshop definition of white supremacy: "a historically based, institutionally perpetuated system of exploitation and oppression of continents, nations and peoples of color by white peoples and nations of the European continent, for the purpose of maintaining and defending a system of wealth, power and privilege".  

Also: Racial Prejudice + Institutional Power = Racism / White Supremacy