Let’s Talk About Anti-Blackness

Because it's a topic we often avoid

Sharon Hurley Hall
December 11, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

Hello friends,

I've been meaning to share this article for a long time. And finally, I decided to take my own advice and release it as a work in progress, a minimum viable product. So here goes...

Let's talk about anti-Blackness

Yes, let’s talk about it. Because very few people want to look at it head on. That’s partly because it’s a painful part of racism. And partly because it exists within the Black and Global Majority communities too.

If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a while, you know how to spot racism, but can you spot anti-Blackness?

It’s in the differing treatment of Black people and other people of the Global Majority
It’s in colorism
It’s in that subtle drawing away that deepens the darker someone’s skin is
It’s in the darkest skin shades being perceived as wrong or threatening
It’s in ignoring Black people’s pain
It’s in making harder for Black people to get mortgages
It’s in discriminatory sentencing
It’s in predatory lending
It’s in privileging Eurocentrism

I'm sure you can think of many other examples, too.

And before you say that these things affect people with lower incomes and non-Black non-white people, yes I know, but the stats show that the practices and outcomes are worse for people identified as Black.

And yes, all of these are experiences of racism, but you’d better believe that if you’re light-skinned or white-passing you will have a different experience.

Colonialism and Anti-Blackness

As this article puts it:

“Certainly, this was one of colonialism’s chief exports and enduring legacies. The lie that we, the native Black people in Africa, were fundamentally inferior to the white man is what propelled colonialism’s arrival and then fuelled its multigenerational tenure on our lands; the drive to align with that lie to achieve the approval of ruling white people is a poisonous inheritance of the politics of survival that continues to be handed down.”

Michelle Chikaonda, Al-Jazeera, Anti-Blackness is Everywhere

Check out W.E.B duBois and Franz Fanon on double-consciousness, too.

Because all of those things that the white world does to us, we Black folx also do to ourselves. We despise our own hair, our skin colour, we hate to see each other succeed, we put obstacles in our way. We lean into competition rather than community. Not all of us, but enough so it's noticeable.

What Can We Do?

If you identify as Black, think about the messages you've received throughout your life about your identity. Recognise where those come from and start to reject those that no longer serve you.

If you aren't Black, think about the messages you've received throughout your life about your identity. Recognise where those come from and start to reject those that facilitate and support anti-Blackness.

Unlearning anti-Blackness starts with us, and we ALL have work to do.

P.S. This is just the start of something I'd like to explore more in this newsletter. If you want to get started doing your own work, check out the work of Dr. Janice Gassam Asare and Joquina Reed.

Thanks for reading my perspective,

Sharon

NOTE: As usual at this time of year SARN is moving to an (almost) weekly publishing cadence for 4 weeks. All subscribers will get articles on December 16th, 23rd and 30th. Supporters will also get a podcast episode on December 20th and a behind the scenes update on January 6th. Our regular publication schedule resumes from January 13th. Happy holidays!

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

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