Writing Without Racism

This shouldn’t be a difficult post to write. And yet, it is.

In 2020, we all watched it happen. As we watched a man murdered, we watched something else happen, too. Our world woke up to what millions of people have already known — racism is alive and festering. Worse, in the last decade, it has spread like the disease it is. Right out in the open.

Those of us who had had enough decided to do something about it. But what? In the immediate aftermath of Mr. Floyd’s death, I changed these things:

• I call out racism in my friends and family
• I ended friendships, for clearly I didn’t know these people, nor did I care to accept such attitudes
• I have become more vigilant in my community, ready to call out anything that had the stain of racism on it

I was ashamed that I hadn’t called it out sooner, that my silence contributed to the ability of people to act like elitist assholes and demean fellow humans. But shame isn’t helpful. Action is.

Today’s post is part of the action.

It’s been over a year since he was murdered. It’s been far, far longer since the protests regarding yet another shooting, yet another round of thoughts and prayers became too normalized. Yet what has changed?

That’s where you and I come in, fellow writer. We who are trained in journalism and ethics, and even those of us who are not, can do something beyond the personal changes and the well-warranted loss of friendships.

We can remove racial bias from our work and our careers.

What’s that? You say you don’t have racial bias? Sure you do. We all do. An example from this post, in fact:

I wrote:

“It’s been over a year since he was murdered.”

But the sentence I typed first was “It’s been over a year since he died.”

Why was I sugar-coating it? I reread it, then changed it.

We all do it. And it’s long past time we all stop it.

[bctt tweet=”So how are you, #freelance writer, going to remove the racism biases from your professional life?” username=”LoriWidmer”]

Start here:

Hold everyone accountable.

That extends beyond family and friends. Hold accountable anyone in your orbit accountable, including clients, former clients, business contacts, even people on social media. Though that last one could become a full-time job in itself — there are a load of racists on social media, and they’re baiting you for a fight. Sometimes those are the ones whose comments should go unacknowledged unless it’s directed at you or someone you know. But where you can, you should certainly report their hateful rhetoric.

I was in a group once in which one of the members joked to my friend “You’re my token black friend.” It’s not funny. It’s also not behavior any group should support. That member was removed from the group that day. If you’re in a group, online on otherwise, that downplays racist experiences, insults, slights, or cannot refrain from saying racist things, ask for them to be removed. If they aren’t, leave. Associating with that kind of nonsense is akin to promoting it.

Lose a client over anything racist. You do not want to work for someone who thinks it’s okay to talk or act in a way that isn’t okay. You don’t need a client like that. And do tell them why. Don’t engage beyond that. Just lose them.

Use facts to dispel the myths/rumors.

Just yesterday, I had to inform someone that no, the US/Mexico border was not “wide open” for “illegals” to “walk right in.” Proof to the contrary is right there on the US Customs and Border Patrol website. It’s in the news reports saying the US has extended the border closures with Canada AND Mexico. The truth is not what is being spun on a certain channel because they keep viewers tuned in by constantly stirring up controversy. Mexican citizens are not “illegals” — they’re people. You’ve just been brainwashed into fearing them as “other.”

There are plenty of resources available to point people to in order to dispel the myths. Know that you cannot make someone believe what they don’t want to believe (not these days, anyway). But you can do your part to sow the seed of understanding. Then disengage and lose that person from your orbit.

Check your work for stereotypes.

Are you making assumptions? Are you using charged language that implies racism? For example, do you use words like lazy, unmotivated, backward, socially inept to describe anyone of color? Do you use phrasing that suggests that all black people are poor or all Hispanics are undocumented? Are you repeating common phrases that have racism at the core — like the term “Indian giver” to describe someone who takes back a gift? Are you describing a non-white neighborhood with charged words that imply dangerous territory or criminal behavior?

Some examples of charged words:

• Lazy
• Unmotivated
• Illegal
• Primitive
• Dirty

We all know charged words, too. We’ve seen them, heard them. Don’t use headlines or language that suggests a bias. I think suggesting the race of a suspect in the title is suggesting bias. How about “Man charged with criminal trespass.” Would you use the headline “White man charged with criminal trespass”? No, you wouldn’t. So don’t do it for any other ethnicity.

Double-check your own information.

I spend untold amounts of time countering the information presented by friends. Most of it is garbage. It’s stereotypical statements that have no basis in reality. One favorite dog whistle is that the majority of people on welfare are black, and that they’re lifers — they stay on welfare. In truth, the non-college-educated white person between 18 and 64 years old is the one most likely to be on welfare (43% according to the Urban Institute).

Stop spreading false information. Do your research — if you’re about to say it, verify it. If you can’t verify it, don’t say it. It’s that simple.

Stop with the microaggression.

“Where are you from?”
“Sacramento.”
“No, I mean which country?”
“The US.”

Asking those questions shows that you assume someone is not “American” because they have an ethnic appearance. And it’s racist.

“I don’t see color.” Sure you do. You should. Otherwise, you’ve just negated someone’s existence because you’re uncomfortable acknowledging their race and the experiences they’ve had because of their race. Instead, shut up and listen.

It’s the same with writing that assumes something about a person based on appearances or names. Don’t assume that John Nichol is white. Don’t assume Lee Johnson is black. Also don’t assume that a person with an ethnic name is an immigrant. Don’t underestimate the person’s abilities, assuming they’re support staff when they’re actually the CEO.

Don’t lay blame.

We here in the US heard some lame-assed politician just last week blame African Americans for the spread of COVID-19 in his state. Not the jerks who won’t wear masks, nor the idiots who think the vaccine is a government microchipping operation — you know, because none of us already carry a microchip around in our cell phones. But once again, African Americans are targeted because some white guy needed a scapegoat other than his insanely stupid white governor who won’t mandate mask use.

But some day, I’ll tell you what I really think.

Any time you point to a group of people and blame them for anything, you’re scapegoating. I know a lot of jerks. They aren’t all white, nor are they all Asian or all Hispanic or all African American. They’re jerks not because of their ethnicity, but because of their behavior.

And some non-writing advice:

Do NOT touch the hair.

I got a very small taste of what that’s like when I visited my grandsons, who are multiracial. They could not stop petting my hair, which is unlike mom’s and dad’s hair. Because I love them and they’re family, it’s perfectly okay. And encouraged.

Now imagine walking up to a stranger and touching their hair because you’re curious how it feels. If you’re over the age of 6, you’re going to get slapped. Or should. You’ve just crossed personal boundaries. Besides, where have your hands been, I mean really?

Writers, what are you doing to remove racial biases from your writing and your life?
What are some of the worst examples you’ve seen or heard?