DAY 21: Give up reactivity when faced with racism
It can be hard to hear that we have created harm or to hear that things are different from our understanding of ourselves. And yet we don’t have to run away from hard things.
People of colour are specially positioned to understand racism, as it is something that we have to constantly navigate to live our every day lives.
Reactivity often comes because we feel embarrassed or have shamed. We move to a place of defensiveness because important parts of our identity feel like they are being challenged. We may not feel that we are seen for our intentions. We may feel that the person is just plain wrong.
And yet, especially when we are hearing from a person of colour that something we have said or done is racist, we invite you to connect to the reality that people of colour are especially equipped to understand what racism is intimately. It comes from having to navigate it daily.
TIP: We invite you to hear what that experience was like for the person of colour. You can share that it is hard to hear if it helps you stay present to the conversation. And you can just listen. Take your time to really understand what is being heard, and if you are committed to hearing a person out about their experience, say so.
Let’s build out resilience and prioritise connection, even when things are hard to hear. It creates space for learning and growth in our relationships with more people.
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