Summit Against Racism - A First Time Participant

On January 23rd 2016 I attended, for the first time, the 18th annual Summit Against Racism, hosted by the Black and White Reunion. Participants could discuss the issues in three sessions, focused on different topics. Some topics were Islam from the Muslim perspective, Allyship vs Co-Conspirator, and Violence against Women, Girls and the LGBTQ Community. Each session included remarks from the sponsoring organization, and an open discussion with the attendees.

Summit Against Racism occurs annually on the Saturday after Martin Luther King Day. This event first started in 1998 in response to the tragic death of Jonny Gammage, a Pittsburgher murdered by five police officers.

Common themes throughout the event included: how can people join together to end racism? What steps are people able to take to do so? What does it mean to fight against racism?

The Summit Against Racism was an eye-opening experience. Being a woman who comes from a mixed ethnicity of Latina and White culture, and having experienced both moments of racism and white privilege in my life, I learned how to improve my efforts towards racial justice.

In each session, flyers were given to the attendees, suggesting how to answer these questions; teaching people how to grasp the opportunity to work towards racial justice, and how to be a supporter for racial justice. Some of the advice given was the following:

Expand your definition of racism: Racism is not only about the KKK, but other forms of racism present in our society. Current discussions of racism focus on institutional racism, and microaggression—old societal systems and language that reinforce racist behaviors. Racism often occurs unconsciously. We must acknowledge day-to-day racism of people of all color; if we fail to do so we are guilty of invalidating the experience of people of color, therefore missing the opportunity to change others and ourselves.

Educate yourself and teach others: We cannot depend on the oppressed to be the only voices who educate others and ourselves about racism. Educate yourself. Read books, blogs, articles, and stories of those who have faced racism —anything about racial injustice. Learn as much as you can. Once you feel as though you have learned a reasonable amount, teach others. Education is power, creating well-informed individuals who then are able to teach others.

Recognize that Racism has molded you: Just as your environment influences your being, racism has too. Acts of racism, whether directed towards you or others, have influenced our thinking and actions. Once we recognize this, we can start exploring what contributes to racism, and how to stop it.

This is not only a Black and White issue: If we only think this way, then we are guilty of oppressing other minorities who have been objectified by racism. Recognize this truth, and listen to all stories of racism from all races. Understand that there are different forms of racism that takes place in different minorities.

Check your privilege at the door. Don’t take it personally: The concept of White privilege is a hot topic recently when discussing racism. This concept is often seen in a negative light—white people often assume that people of color are denying that being white means they have never experienced any struggles. This is not true. White privilege means that because you are white, you will not experience some forms of oppression throughout your life that people of color often endure. If you are a white person fighting towards racial justice understand that at one point or another you will hear things about yourself, and white people generally, that are unflattering. Do not take it personally—understand such observations are not about you, but about the bigger underlying picture. If you stop listening, you stop being an advocate for racial justice.

Listen: When you are presented with someone of color’s experiences with racism, listen to them. Do not belittle their experiences; accept that this is their truth, and believe them. Ask questions. Accept that you may not be able to relate to their experience; simply be an active listener and value them for sharing their experience and helping your views on racism change.

Act: Being a bystander is just as wrong as participating in racism. If you truly want to be an activist towards racial justice, then speak up. Speaking up and speaking out against racism means sometimes being uncomfortable and unpopular—people might get defensive, and try to disagree with you. Remember, the hardest but also the most part is starting the conversation.

I suggest any person who has a passion towards racial justice to attend this event next year, and get involved with the different organizations that helped run the event. The more people join the conversation, the better our ability to create change.

Erin Ludlow is currently the editorial collective intern at the Thomas Merton Center. She is a junior at the University of Pittsburgh, majoring in creative nonfiction writing, professional writing, and digital media.

#article