Let's Talk About Race
“All humanity is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also [a] white has no superiority over black, nor [a] black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action."
- The Last Sermon of Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
Since February is Black History Month, I thought it would be the perfect time to reflect on race, what it means to us, and how we can use this awareness to help others. This past year, we’ve consumed a plethora of information on the injustices Black people face. However, how can we translate knowledge into action?
Our Black brothers and sisters have endured unimaginable injustice and cruelty. Slavery, Jim Crow laws, discriminatory housing practices, mass incarceration, and police brutality are just some of the many inequalities Black people have faced throughout US history and continue to face today. This inhumane treatment boils down to one arbitrarily socially constructed idea: race. As Prophet Muhammad (SAW) reminds us in The Last Sermon, no individual is superior to another “except by piety and good action.” Additionally, the concepts of social justice and eliminating oppression are embedded throughout the Qur’an. Therefore, as Muslims, it’s vital that we 1) examine our own implicit biases about race and skin color and 2) develop an integrated racial identity that allows us to advocate for those who are oppressed.
In order to examine your own biases about race, you can take the Implicit Association Test through Project Implicit. Take the Skin-tone IAT and Race IAT and reflect on your results. Are you biased towards lighter skin tones? Darker skin tones? Do you have a preference for white? Black? If you do have a bias, reflect on what that may mean. What messages did you receive growing up about race and skin tone? How have those messages influenced your behavior? What experiences have you had that contribute to your bias? How can you “unlearn” the messages you may have received?
After examining and reflecting on your own biases, think about your own racial identity. How do you identify? What parts of your race are salient to you? Do you surround yourself with others who look like you? What racist messages have you internalized? In order to aid you with this process, let’s take a look at one of the most widely cited racial identity development models: Janet Helms’s People of Color Racial Identity Development Model (POCRID). This model is comprised of five stages that exist on a continuum from unawareness of racism to advocacy for oppressed groups. Someone may go through this process linearly or nonlinearly. Below, I’ll take you through the stages of this model and provide you with a continuous example of someone who is going through this process. As you read the different stages, reflect on what stage you may be in, how you’ve shifted between stages, and how you can reach the final stage, given that you aren’t already there.
The POCRID model:
Conformity
This status is analogous to internalized racism. Individuals in this status may adopt racist beliefs about their own race, discount racism as an issue, and may not associate with others in their own racial group.
Example: Maryam is an 18-year-old Pakistani-American Muslim woman. She grew up in a primarily white town and all of her friends are white. Her white friends poke fun at her, calling her a “terrorist” as a joke. She laughs along with them without giving it much thought.
Dissonance
In this stage, an individual may have an indirect or direct experience with racism – becoming aware for the first time that racism exists. With this newfound awareness, this individual may start to appreciate aspects of their own racial group and grow wary of those in the dominant (i.e., white) culture.
Example: One day, Maryam heads to a new coffee shop to grab a latte. The white barista behind the counter keeps glaring at Maryam. She feels a bit uncomfortable but brushes it off. The barista leaves Maryam’s drink on the counter for her to pick up. When Maryam grabs her drink, she notices the words “GO BACK TO YOUR COUNTRY” written on her cup. Her heart sinks and her face feels hot. Later that day, she starts to feel protective of her race.
Immersion and Emersion
Individuals in this stage may strongly retreat to their own racial group and reject the dominant culture.
Example: After the encounter at the coffee shop, Maryam continues to feel protective of her race. She dissociates from her white friends. She tries to reach out to family friends who are of the same race and establish some connection with them. She prefers eating Pakistani food and notices the beauty of her Pakistani clothes. She begins valuing time with her family over time with her friends.
Internalization
As individuals achieve growing awareness of racism, they recognize that other forms of oppression exist. They identify with individuals who have other oppressed identities and solidify their own racial self-concept. Wariness of Whites decreases, and individuals begin interacting more flexibly with them.
Example: After some time, Maryam slowly begins integrating back into her group of white friends. This time, she establishes ground rules and lets her friends know that it’s not okay for them to make fun of her race. Additionally, she connects with friends of her own race and other people of color.
Integrative Awareness
Individuals understand the complexity of the racial oppression and other forms of oppression (e.g., sexism). Utilizing this understanding, they advocate for the eradication of all forms of oppression.
Example: With her white friends and friends of color, Maryam begins participating actively in the community to eliminate oppression. She advocates for equal rights for women and people of color, especially her Black brothers and sisters. With an integrated racial identity, she is able to recognize the issues other people face and use her experiences and awareness to take an active role in her community.
The biggest takeaway from this model is that it’s difficult for us (people of color) to be advocates if we haven’t developed our own racial identities. Similar to the idea of taking care of yourself before taking of others, we have to grow and develop as racial beings before we can help others who are experiencing racism.
My goals for you with this post are to assess your own implicit biases; reflect on your own racial identity development; and use your newfound awareness and self-reflection to advocate for our Black brothers and sisters. Given the current social climate and it being Black History Month, it’s important for us to focus our attention on those who are most in need. Outward displays of white supremacy and deadly demonstrations of police brutality are occurring at dangerously high frequencies. It’s crucial that we stay aware of what’s occurring and take action.
Here is a list of some possible actions you can take:
Stay informed of petitions that are going around on www.change.org and sign them when feasible.
Donate to community organizations such as Know Your Rights Camp and Black Lives Matter.
Look for programs or events that occurring locally. For example, The Path to Racial Equity series is happening currently and is based in Austin.
Listen to or participate in conversations about race. NPR Code Switch is a podcast that focuses specifically on conversations about race.
Watch documentaries such as 13th (on Netflix) to expand your knowledge of Black History.
Whichever action you take should be congruent with who you are. If you want to help behind the scenes, donate to organizations and educate yourself and others. If you want to take a more active approach, join organizations and socialize with other like-minded individuals. Utilize your skills, knowledge, and strengths the best way you know how. No step is too small; we all have to start somewhere.
