tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post3508402142862316411..comments2024-03-26T15:49:05.333-07:00Comments on Criminal Minds: Why I want to talk to white people about raceJosh Stallingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09913654176433125233noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post-30791884028582005842020-06-13T16:11:24.328-07:002020-06-13T16:11:24.328-07:00An important post, thank you Abir. I see how writ...An important post, thank you Abir. I see how writing that must have been exhausting, but doing so is necessary and effective.Matthew Exonhttps://mat.exon.namenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post-86469933624363454402020-06-13T03:36:56.065-07:002020-06-13T03:36:56.065-07:00Thank you for this Abir. Wonderfully put.Thank you for this Abir. Wonderfully put.Derek Farrellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16381087112260649787noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post-2694923660496116152020-06-13T00:49:02.384-07:002020-06-13T00:49:02.384-07:00Interesting. I can only comment about lack of dive...Interesting. I can only comment about lack of diversity in publishing, where I have lived and had my being for forty years.Part of the problem is that BAME candidates don’t apply for jobs in publishing, it does not cross their minds. For example one vacancy we had for a first job in publishing received over 150 applications, with just one from a BAME candidate. I do think that is changing and I did suggest years ago that the PA and IPG do a milk round to unis to raise awareness.Andrewnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post-60163322405900121792020-06-13T00:12:03.646-07:002020-06-13T00:12:03.646-07:00Thank you Abir. I am a white 71 year old man, I w...Thank you Abir. I am a white 71 year old man, I was raised in what is now a borough on the outskirts of London. We lived in a council house and I attended a primary school less than 100 yards from my home. My elder brother was gay, although I didn't know that until I was in my 20s. I had never met anyone from the BAME community until 1960, I was 12 and that was when I started at a grammar school that only had one black pupil. The boy was called Sam I think, I don't remember his full name but he was known by all his school mates as 'Zulu'. Sam was very popular among all the rest of us and can honestly say that I never saw any other overt examples of racism to him, not that I would necessarily have recognised them if I had.<br /><br />About that time in my life I joined a youth club that was run by an extraordinary woman. Disabled by polio and with an indefatigable energy who fought to bring out the best in all of us youngsters by involving us in activities that none of us would have dreamt of doing before. One thing she did was attempt to start a sort twinning arrangement with a community organisation in Southall, about 7 miles away where we went as groups to visit each others youth centres, unfortunately that failed through lack of support from local authorities on both sides. It was the first time I'd met anyone from the subcontinent and I confess I learned nothing from the exercise. The events all descended into 'us and them' occasions and whilst there was no animosity I don't think anything was learned on either side.<br /><br />Fast forward through my 30 year career in the fire service a predominately white male environment where I never served alongside anyone from the BAME community. Now I live in rural Lincolnshire another mainly white area and I don't believe there are any BAME people in our village or the two surrounding ones.<br /><br />I don't know how it happened but I have never had what I would regard as a friend from the BAME community, not because I have sought to avoid such friendships but because the occasion has never arisen. Nowadays I communicate with people from all backgrounds but only via social media. I've never had to experience the kind of prejudice that you and others from minority backgrounds have nor am I ever likely to, but have I ever been guilty behaving in a prejudicial way to others? Probably, but I think I can say not knowingly. Have I ever witnessed such behaviour? Most definitely yes. Did I intervene on these occasions yes, but to my shame, definitely not as often as I should have, would I do so now? I hope so.<br /><br />Why did I go into this lengthy response to your brilliant article? I don't really know because I only started by wanting to explain that myself and many others from an exclusively British background will probably always struggle with languages and it will be a long time before we spell the names of people from other cultures and countries correctly.FireyColinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11090526914198372526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post-24642423400889572182020-06-12T14:00:19.159-07:002020-06-12T14:00:19.159-07:00Thank you, Abir. Powerful piece.Thank you, Abir. Powerful piece.Cynthia Kuhnhttp://cynthiakuhn.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post-22246952259394080302020-06-12T13:42:15.446-07:002020-06-12T13:42:15.446-07:00Abir, thank you for sharing this thoughtful and br...Abir, thank you for sharing this thoughtful and brave reflection. I appreciate the emotional labor as well. Please know that your voice has been heard. Susie Calkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16023173142068702088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post-34820626583531263312020-06-12T10:14:37.721-07:002020-06-12T10:14:37.721-07:00Thank you for being brave enough to share your exp...Thank you for being brave enough to share your experiences in a world that still doesn't value every voice. Laurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02180379908590112431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post-75347147932783598572020-06-12T10:00:42.503-07:002020-06-12T10:00:42.503-07:00Thanks for this, Abir. Listening, hearing and tryi...Thanks for this, Abir. Listening, hearing and trying to understand...because, although there isn't an "ending", there can be a new beginning every time we have a chance to listen, hear, and attempt to understand. Cathy Acehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03209957178470434907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post-14671827989090654432020-06-12T09:48:49.176-07:002020-06-12T09:48:49.176-07:00What James Ziskin said! I couldn't have said ...What James Ziskin said! I couldn't have said it better so I'm stealing his words.Gramhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01027824918114690029noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post-89790355378134754782020-06-12T08:05:57.966-07:002020-06-12T08:05:57.966-07:00"So why is it that an industry which thinks o..."So why is it that an industry which thinks of itself as forward-thinking, and which is populated by open-minded and well-meaning people, when it comes down to it, is still so mired in unthinking prejudice and practices which are far less tolerated in other industries?" This is the heart of the problem, isn't it? I think the answer can be found in a question about people realizing that the world wasn't flat. The wonder wasn't that they realized it wasn't flat, but that they thought about it at all. I think that's the problem. Not so much that the industry thinks of itself as forward-thinking and open-minded, but that the majority in the publishing world don't think of it at all. I hope some of these conversations, and thoughtful, honest pieces like yours will start to push the dinosaur in a better direction.Terryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17478393430722574447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post-21777089127707056242020-06-12T07:49:05.950-07:002020-06-12T07:49:05.950-07:00So well said, Abir! I love this phrase, "raci...So well said, Abir! I love this phrase, "racism disguised as defending meritocracy." That's exactly right! Thanks for writing this. John Copenhaverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10766936119354243801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post-50751200575660584152020-06-12T07:12:34.892-07:002020-06-12T07:12:34.892-07:00Amir, thank you. Let this be a time of change in o...Amir, thank you. Let this be a time of change in our oh so imperfect society. <br /><br />Ann MasonFintahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17087809450585073206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post-2240189821652855372020-06-12T06:57:46.458-07:002020-06-12T06:57:46.458-07:00Honest, brave, measured, and moving. Great piece, ...Honest, brave, measured, and moving. Great piece, Abir. Thank you.<br /><br />JimJames W. Ziskinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07677940119373480715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post-69551582739942651102020-06-12T06:47:14.240-07:002020-06-12T06:47:14.240-07:00Thank you, Abir: for writing this. For being hones...Thank you, Abir: for writing this. For being honest about how hard it was to write this. Especially for making the point that there couldn't be an ending. catrionahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07377696246539539528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post-34055831018220882522020-06-12T05:10:45.578-07:002020-06-12T05:10:45.578-07:00Well said. We are too often 'blinded to our ow...Well said. We are too often 'blinded to our own prejudice' and I fear it won't end until we all realize there's only one race--human.jrlindermuthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09204855909246670628noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post-61796460672802547342020-06-12T05:04:40.565-07:002020-06-12T05:04:40.565-07:00Dear Abir
This is a really good piece. Having spe...Dear Abir<br /><br />This is a really good piece. Having spend thirty odd years in the book world as writer, publishing editor and reviewer, I’ve thought a lot about this (I have, for what it’s worth and amongst other things, written a non-fiction book about a racist miscarriage of justice, published Attica Locke’s first novel in Britain, written a biography of Michael X, and right now I’m in the middle of writing a biography of CLR James). <br /><br />A lot of what I’m hearing at the moment feels depressingly familiar. About once a decade publishing suddenly wakes up and notices how white it is. It publishes a few more black writers for a year or two, then drops most of them. Rinse and repeat.<br /><br />What really struck me in your piece is the contrast between the financial world and the publishing world. Why is it that the one run by straight up capitalists is effectively less racist than the one run by liberals?<br /><br />There are no straightforward to answers to this but there are a few questions it might be worth asking. Could it be that white anti-racism is in itself a problem? Do white liberals see non-white people as deserving causes, not real people with strengths and weaknesses? Do white liberals really only want non-white writers to write about how oppressed they are? Does the relentless focus on black suffering end up disempowering all concerned? Does white liberalism end up seeing black writing as sociology not literature? Does that result in only publishing books by black writers that only deal with one aspect of their experience? <br /><br />And then there’s the question of who works in publishing. The problem here is money, and it’s a huge problem. Publishing is a very poorly paid industry. It’s also a nepotistic one. To get in it helps to know someone who helps you get an internship and then you need to be able to live in London on next to no income. And if you do get in you’re very unlikely to earn much. As a result it’s overwhelmingly a profession staffed by people who come from the securely moneyed classes. It’s hardly surprising that immigrant families haven’t shown up in the UK urging their kids to get a career in publishing. It’s typically only after a generation or two that the children or grandchildren of doctors and lawyers decide to do something so irresponsible.<br /><br />Which leads us to the thorniest problem of all – class. Class cuts through BAME – British Indians earn on average more than White British people. Black and Bangladeshi British people earn significantly less than White British people. Money may not negate racism but it does change class. Money means access to fancy schools and elite universities , all of which can help get you a job as Chancellor of the Exchequer, or , if you’re very lucky, an internship at Penguin.<br /><br />Class, for me, is the biggest issue in publishing. But it’s also the big issue in society. In so many ways publishing is a symptom of a society that fails to work for those on the bottom. I have my doubts as to whether the book word is going to be changed by well-meaning people in corporate publishers. What we need, if you ask me, is a return to independent publishers staffed by people of all backgrounds , looking forward not backward,in both content and approach.<br /><br />Lord, that’s enough. Hope some of it’s of interest.<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13237354698703506729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post-71032647781850865982020-06-12T04:11:00.315-07:002020-06-12T04:11:00.315-07:00Thank you, Abir, for sharing your experience. I kn...Thank you, Abir, for sharing your experience. I know this takes courage. White privilege is a fact that many accept as 'just the way things are'. Bottom line, we all have to do better in recognizing our own and systemic racism and work to level the playing field for everyone. Brenda Chapmannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post-42250270242205934112020-06-12T03:55:39.455-07:002020-06-12T03:55:39.455-07:00Beautifully written as always mate. I'm not go...Beautifully written as always mate. I'm not going to comment further as it's not my place to do so and because I have no experiences that could add to what you've written.Paul Gitshamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13774409487097188031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post-70905236901671568192020-06-12T03:26:24.560-07:002020-06-12T03:26:24.560-07:00I think you have been massively articulate - it wa...I think you have been massively articulate - it was an emotional read for me as a middle aged white woman whose father thought Enoch Powell was a god. I have spent my whole life trying not to be a racist ( often failing) and realising, even now, how insidious a thing it is. Racism is everywhere, and our own fragility and inability to do the hard work of examining ourselves to see what we are contributing to it will continue to be the obstacle. No matter how many token gestures are made. For instance, a while ago I was part of a discussion between white authors of how to describe, without using the words Black or Asian, the ethnicity of minor characters ( ... ) I said just use Black of Asian and asked why, if the distinction was so important, were they minor characters? What I received was one of the saddest exhibitions of white privilege I have had the misfortune to witness. Several people left the group and accused me of bullying. I am not a bully, I have never been a bully but if it stinks I'm not going to pretend it doesn't. Another for instance, and this from a member of my own family ( the shame!!!), whilst driving through Dudley " Do they call it the Black Country because so many darkies live here?" Said by a relative in her early thirties who has had the privilege of a free education. Where do we start with what is broken here? Of course I put her straight. I am seen by my extended family as someone who is too much - someone of whom it is said " Oh God, is she on her soap box again????" . Actually, yeah, I am. What of it? Gather round!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post-45363727501441895022020-06-12T03:15:22.282-07:002020-06-12T03:15:22.282-07:00Wonderful wise words. We are all individuals. We a...Wonderful wise words. We are all individuals. We all share the same planet and no one of us should be any less or more important than the other.<br />HelenHelen Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17653204824495150135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4994072470312639837.post-25143455073777034462020-06-12T02:44:59.622-07:002020-06-12T02:44:59.622-07:00A tiny example of embedded racism: Some years ago ...A tiny example of embedded racism: Some years ago I found I had black ancestors. I was excited because it made an interesting change from all the East Anglian farmers on the family tree. I shared this news with a very nice man, who had helped with family research. His response was to reassure me that my African ancestry didn't show, and that nobody would guess. In a thousand years, this otherwise kind man wouldn't see this as racism. Laugh or cry? Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08732482683805250240noreply@blogger.com