Me and White Supremacy : Day 11 Journal Questions
I’m leading a group discussion circle on “Me and White Supremacy” by Layla F. Saad. I’m taking the journaling challenge daily throughout February even though I’m not white. If you happen to be white, why not take the challenge? If I can do it, you can do it too.
Day 11 Questions (from the text):
1. Think about the country you live in. What are some of the national racial
stereotypes — spoken and unspoken, historic and modern — associated
with Black children?2. How do you think about Black children who are citizens in your country
differently from those who are recent immigrants?3. How have you viewed or do you view Black children when they are young
versus when they get to their teens and young adulthood?4. How have you treated Black children differently from white children? And
how have you treated darker-skinned Black children differently from
lighter-skinned Black children?5. How have you tokenized and fetishized “cute Black kids” or “cute mixed
kids”?6. How have you wanted to “save” Black children?
7. If you are a white or biracial parent of Black children, what antiracism
work have you been doing on yourself and in your communities to make
the world a safe space for your children? Do you protect your kids when
someone others your Black children, or do you retreat into white silence?
- — -
When I was 9 years old I was at the mall with my white friend and his family. My friend and I wandered into JC Penney while the rest of his family went elsewhere. We browsed the toy section for a bit, and then went to leave the store to catch up with his parents.
Just as we got beyond the threshold of the store exit, I felt an adult hand grab me hard on the shoulder from behind, and a voice said “you need to come with us.” I looked up to see a man and woman, both white, both unfamiliar. I tried to free myself from this strange man’s grip but he did not let go. I saw that the woman was holding my friend in a similar manner. They somewhat forcefully guided us back into the store at a hurried pace. I didn’t know whether or not I was being kidnapped, and if I was, why any of the other adult shoppers witnessing this were not doing anything to stop it. I was too afraid to say or do anything but comply.
We continued through JC Penney and arrived at a small back room not easily accessible to shoppers. There were wanted posters on the walls, all of which had Black man on them. The adults sat us down in two chairs against the far wall. They pulled up a small table and sat across from us some distance away. They explained that they knew I was an accomplice to a robbery, and started questioning me about it. When I told them I had no idea what they were talking about they replied with “lying about it will only get you in more trouble.” They asked where our parents were, and when my friend told them, they had his parents paged over the mall loudspeaker.
As my friend’s parents arrived, the undercover officer/security guard explained the situation. They were in shock. I don’t remember whether or not they believed what they were told by these people, but what I do remember is that it took my friend vouching for me and several days to eventually clear my name, as my own parents would later inform me.
Needless to say, I read this chapter as a flashback to my own childhood. I experienced the suspicion that Saad talks about time and time again. This is just one example of having been seen as a threat without provocation from a very early age. I have others. Perhaps I’ll post them to this blog at some point.
