It’s been a
terrible week. I have been under shock from hearing about the riots in the US.
I felt as if I was choking myself when I read the transcription of the words
George Floyd said before he died. Yet when I saw black squares appearing on
Instagram on Tuesday, in a lot of feeds, to me it did not feel right. Because a
black square with a #blacklivesmatter does not really say anything, and it does
not direct anybody’s attention to any black life worth noting. It is a puff in
the air, I felt. I did not declare solidarity with Charlie Hebdo when their
office was bombed either. It didn’t feel right to me then, and it didn’t feel
right to me now. Because ‘black lives’ does not include Hispanics, Native
Americans, …
I have
absolutely no expertise in saying anything about institutionalized racism in
the US, and I feel completely incompetent talking about racism anywhere else in
the world, even my own country. I have experienced racist remarks from Germans
when I was about in the streets with refugees – even when walking with a Greek
guy, many years ago. And when I was an exchange student in the US and tried to
get in touch with black students I met with resistance and a clearly pronounced
‘no interest – you are white’. It is too complicated an issue for me to write
about.
I believe I
have always tried to treat people as humans, no matter what their color of skin,
and my efforts at helping refugees have never made a difference regarding skin
color. However, I learned that there is a lot of racism amongst refugees
against each other. We all have a lot to learn.
Respect. Solidarity. Compassion. Letting go of our ego. Reducing
consumption – Greta Thunberg’s fight is the same fight as the fight for racial
equality.
This picture from Instagram is more like what I want to post for my statement:
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| Screenshot from Instagram |
So the
entire week I have been ‘under the riots’, one could say. And it is not over
yet, because my Senegalese friend told me about experiences she had this past
week which are clear signs of racism in the hospital administration where she
is training. But she would not give me the person’s name to interfere on her
behalf. Which is why I can't include this post in the 'diary of recovery' I am trying to keep.
Yet I finally
returned to my private Spanish class, went there by bike and had a really nice
round trip.
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| A lovely apple orchard on the way where they grow hundreds of different kinds of apples. |
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| Zooming in on the orchard's meadows where memories reside... |
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| A short rest for a drink of water after the last, and steepest climb on the way back up. Landshut in in the valley (here you see Geisenhausen) and going home is decidedly more exhausting than going in! |
But I was
completely flattened out upon my return. Fitness is something else…
I too saw a lot of black squares last week, mostly from white people whom I know to have good hearts and support for the protest/cause. I also read several essays and stories in the newspaper in which black people thought the whole concept of "solidarity" via instagram posts was silly, hypocritical and offensive.
ReplyDeleteAs with so many social media campaigns, good intentions can easily get cheapened when people's enthusiasm for the post and the likes substitutes for enthusiasm for actually doing something about it.
True - social media are an inadequate way of voicing concerns about political matters. I think it will be more important to slowly figure out the name of that person who irked my Senegalese friend and approach her directly, or her superior. And I am planning to do that, just need to go slowly. Also, doing anything I can to give these friends from Africa chances, friendship, solidarity - treat them as humans, that is all. And so easy, really.
ReplyDelete