Omari Newton: Welcome to the White-Wakening
We’re barely past the halfway mark of 2020 and I think I speak for everyone when I say shit is cray.
This year feels like a South Park/Family Guy/Black Mirror crossover event, written by George A. Romero. The madness kicked off with a terrifying global pandemic that forced us all into prolonged self-isolation. Things were so dire it prompted the Canadian government to spend the last few months paying us millions to stay home and watch Netflix. After a few weeks we were all so disoriented from streaming everything Netflix had to offer that we collectively became obsessed with a B-grade reality TV series about tigers, murder, and meth. This renewed TV obsession was ironic for us Vancouverites who work in film and TV. While the nation found comfort in watching what we do for a living in record numbers, we watched in shock and horror as our once-booming Hollywood North shut down entirely.
What made matters worse is, we film and TV workers initially found ourselves shut out of emergency government benefits. Thanks in part to tireless advocacy by our ever-resilient union, UBCP/ACTRA, the film and TV community was finally included amongst supported workers and could exhale... for a little bit, because this is 2020, and the hellscape was only just revealing itself.
And then – and then! – came the 24/7 onslaught of Bad News (capital B, capital N).
We saw heartbreaking reports of massive COVID-19 death tolls in places like Italy, Spain, and New York City – and we saw the Black community devastated by COVID-19. Early numbers revealed that Black people are three times more likely to die or become seriously ill from COVID infections – three times more likely to have to rush to the nearest hospital to declare, “I can’t breathe.”
It is darkly ironic that in the midst of one pandemic, a second pandemic has emerged that links the extended Black community to the same infamous phrase.
By now, everyone and their grandmother is aware of the horrific viral video that showed a white Minneapolis police officer— Derek Chauvin – methodically murdering George Floyd, an unarmed and compliant Black man as he was handcuffed and face down on the street. To make matters worse, the video showed several other officers standing by and doing nothing despite the emphatic cries from onlookers urging the aggressor to relent, and for the other officers on scene to intervene.
Not even the desperate, horrified pleas of a dying man moved the officers to stop and render aid. Chauvin left his knee pressed into the neck of Mr. Floyd’s dead body for several minutes after the latter had been rendered unconscious.
The video quickly went viral – maybe because it was the third and most blatantly awful racist video released to the public in a short period of time. First we had the Ahmaud Arbery murder video which essentially showed a modern-day lynching. Next we saw a racist woman filmed while reaching for fake victimhood on a 911 call because a Black man had the audacity to ask her to leash her dog in a park that clearly required dog walkers to do so. Black people were already on edge after these viral incidents; the George Floyd video was the final straw.
Image from Shutterstock; used with permission
The video sparked widespread, international demonstrations against racism and police brutality, and not just from people of colour. For the first time in recent history, huge swaths of white people apparently just now realized that racism IS in fact a very real issue for POC – that fear of police mistreatment and brutality may in fact be warranted.
It’s been an amazing sight to behold. Historic, even – a white-awakening of sorts.
Thus, I have decided to label this historic event:
THE WHITE-WAKENING!
The White-Wakening can be characterized as a sudden increase in public displays of wokeness and solidarity to Black folk. Profile pics are being blackened. Black tweets are being re-tweeted. Black articles are being shared. Most amazingly, many white people are taking to the streets in solidarity! Even in Vancouver, a city that normally reserves its effusive, large public gatherings for important things like fireworks and Canucks’ playoff losses, saw thousands take to the streets for a anti-Black racism rally last weekend.
Finally, anti-Black racism is being acknowledged and confronted on all fronts!
Black people have the microphone, and white people are willing to listen!
Before we lose you again, here are some tips on how to be an effective ally:
Many of you have just now dipped your toes into the world of anti-racism. Welcome! A warning: ‘Anti-Racism 101’ has a steep learning curve.
Please remember that most POC are PhDs in dismantling white supremacy; we have to be to ensure our survival. When you are engaging with a Black person, keep this in mind. There will be a lot of content designed to undermine the movement you’ve just now joined. Some of it may seem convincing at first, particularly stuff featuring Black faces espousing views that seemingly challenge the “mainstream narrative.” Resist the impulse to be swayed by these and please – please! – do NOT send them to your Black friends so they can see “all sides” of the issue. We’ve seen the videos and articles already, repeatedly, for years. We intimately know the roster of brown-skinned conservatives who always pop up to smear their community for a healthy fee from their conservative masters. We have heard “both sides” of the argument.
Sending us content from Black conservatives in an effort to make us see ‘both sides” is the intellectual equivalent of saying “All Sides Matter.”
Of course all sides matter. But one side has been systematically silenced or ignored for ages, and the other one has dominated mainstream thinking for eternity. Miss us with your false equivalencies.
This content is specifically designed to appease confirmation bias, and to seduce you back into the passively held white supremacist views deeply embedded in your psyche.
I know what you’re thinking.
“I’m not racist!!”
The thing is, you are. You – yes, you, my white ally! – are racist.
All white people are. You may not be capital “R” racist in the cross-burning, white-sheet-wearing kind of way. However, you’ve been the beneficiary of white privilege your entire life, whether you acknowledge it or not. This privilege has had a profound influence on your understanding of the world and presents itself in unexpected ways, like, you know, being able to make it all the way to 2020 without being outraged enough by widespread racism to take to the streets or be actively anti-racist.
Now, you may be thinking,
“Isn’t the idea that all white people are racist, reverse racism?”
The defensive feeling you’re now feeling is totally normal. It’s called White Fragility. Author Robin DiAngelo literally wrote a book about it. This is required reading now that you’ve joined the movement, or did you think this was gonna be all Black squares on IG and woke retweets?
If you don’t have time to read a whole book right now, here is a hilarious bit by comedian Aamer Rahman that explains why reverse racism isn’t a thing.
Ok, let’s talk about social media. You’re probably paying much more attention to the articles your Black friends are posting. Some you like and share, which is great. It’s the job of white people to fix racism, because white people started it – so amplifying the signal so that your racist family members see it is a great start. You are then responsible for following through and challenging them to evolve their limited views.
I know, I know –
“I didn’t personally start racism,” you say.
Well, I didn’t personally sign up to be disadvantaged at every turn my entire life, but I deal with that every day, so…
You may have a knee-jerk response to some of the stuff posted by your Black friends. Again, this is your White Fragility. It’s totally normal. Your main job is to listen, learn, and amplify. If you disagree with something a Black person says about their lived experience, do not start a debate with them in person or on their social media page. We are PhDs in this and you are first-year students on their first day. Would you sit down in a quantum physics class on day one and debate your professor about a theory? Then don’t do it here.
Google is your friend. Invest the time in researching the subject. Read books. Listen to podcasts. Watch videos. I promise you your question has been answered a million times before.
What may be new and fascinating for you is likely exhausting emotional labour for your POC friend. If after you’ve done a ton of research and you still have a question, politely DM your friend and ask if they can help you out at their convenience. Trust that your Black friend has been answering the same questions for years.
If you have newly taken the exciting step of going to a rally or protest, thank you. Black people have been putting their bodies on the line for this cause since forever and appreciate the support. Here are some good rules to follow:
You are there to provide support, not to lead. Don’t start leading chants or directing traffic. You are a valued guest in the anti-racism struggle, so act accordingly. Don’t start acting reckless and breaking the law in a group of peaceful Black people. This undermines the movement and literally puts Black lives in danger. Things like property damage and looting are sometimes casualties of civil disobedience; some activists would even argue that riots are a legitimate tactic. Real radicals like Martin Luther King, Jr. Oh… right… you haven’t learned that MLK was literally an enemy of the state who was totally down with riots? Told you this learning curve was steep! Either way, white people don’t have the authority to instigate a riot, loot, or vandalize at a rally associated with Black people. What you can do is put your body between Black protesters and law enforcement when called upon to do so. This is a tactic referred to as “White Shield.” It calls on you to leverage your privilege to keep everyone safe.
Have you researched legitimate anti racism organizations and donated to them? If money is tight, did you share a donation link with your network? If you’re able, put your money into groups that have been doing this work for years.
Finally, look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself if you’re here for the long haul, or if you’re just a social justice tourist riding the wave. Your recent acts of solidarity are great, but overcoming racism is a lifelong battle. If your solidarity comes and goes in lock-step with what’s trending on Twitter, you aren’t an ally. You’re an opportunist. Looking forward to your continuous support.
#BlackLivesMatter
Omari Newton. Photo used with permission
Editor’s note: Omari Newton is a creative force who has made a mark in multiple cities across Canada: in Montreal, where at 19 years old he won accolades for his performance in Athol Fugard’s ‘My Children! My Africa!’ with Black Theatre Workshop, Canada’s oldest Black theatre company; in Ottawa, where his play ‘Sal Capone’ will run in the second half of the National Arts Centre’s 2017-2018 season; and in Vancouver, where he’s straddled the screen and theatre worlds as an in-demand actor (‘Continuum’), producer (‘The Shipment’), playwright (‘Sal Capone’), and teacher. Omari won a 2018 Jessie Award for his performance in ‘The Shipment.’ Social justice issues are important to Omari – he writes about them on his Facebook page – and are central to his work in the arts. Omari writes about social justice issues – and how they intersect with the entertainment industry – for YVR Screen Scene. Omari directed a production of David Harrower’s ‘Blackbird’ that ran at the 2018 Vancouver Fringe Festival. Follow Omari on Twitter @OmariAkilNewton.
Top image from Shutterstock; used with permission
