Colonialism Isn't History; It's The Present

Hello friends,

When some people talk about colonialism, it's as if they're discussing some long ago phenomenon that's been consigned to the history books. That isn't true at all.

Take the case of Barbados, which became "independent" in 1966 and a republic in 2021. Or the case of the Chagos Islands, which the UK is only just handing back to Mauritius (while maintaining a military base there for another 99 years).

Colonialism isn't history; it's the present.

Of course, it often looks slightly different now, but it's a case of the emperor's new clothes - what's really there is all too visible if you care to look.

Colonialism Today

Look at who holds the financial power on a global scale - it's mostly the agencies of former colonisers like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. They decide who can get credit, how predatory the interest rates are, and how many hoops countries have to jump through - a financial step and fetchit that happens in formerly colonised countries every day.

It shows up in how world events are covered and whose pain and oppression are valued. Just look at the difference between support for Ukraine and support for Palestine (and as far as I know, only one of those countries has consistently suffered colonial oppression and genocide).

You can see it in the white saviourism of many charitable organisations. Yes, it's good to redress the wrongs of the world, but it's not good to present those in need of help now as solely responsible for their own plight and somehow lesser, when in truth many of the issues could have been avoided if Europeans had just stayed home a few centuries ago.

It's visible in how history is related - whose stories are thought to be good and whose bad. Whose resistance is glorified and whose vilified. And in who's compensated and who's still paying for having the audacity to take their freedom. (Yes, I'm talking about Haiti - the present is very much a reflection of centuries of financial oppression by France).

And of course in who's paying the price of climate change despite not being the worst polluters.

While many of my examples relate to Europe, the USA doesn't escape scrutiny in terms of colonialism either - the country was built on genocide, and just look at the annexation of Hawaii.

Colonialism is everywhere, frankly. It's in who feels they have the right to interfere in the affairs of other countries, and in which countries believe they're above the law.

The unbalanced power dynamic remains.

And in case you were wondering what this has to do with racism - well, as they say, it's all connected. Settler colonialism goes hand in hand with racism (and with patriarchy, white supremacy and capitalism).

Your Next Step

Your action today: notice it and call it out. Ask more questions about why things are the way they are and how they could be better instead. And assess your own decolonial mindset with these quizzes (which I found via Emily O Weltman on LinkedIn.)

Thanks for reading,

Sharon

Note: poll feedback is private - if you’re happy to share your thoughts in public, then please also leave a comment.

I am an anti-racism educator and activist, the author of “I’m Tired of Racism”, and co-host of The Introvert Sisters podcast.

© Sharon Hurley Hall, 2024. All Rights Reserved. This newsletter is published on beehiiv (affiliate link).