To The White People Here (Myself Included)

Written By Hayley Dunne

If you’re a white person, today’s post is specifically for you. It’s time (overdue) that I speak up more here about our responsibility as people with white privilege.

If you’re a Black, brown, or Indigenous person there is a content warning on this one as I write about racial violence. It’s all a lot right now, I hope that your body and heart is being lovingly held. I am here, if I can support in anyway please do reach out.

First let’s be clear, I’m not writing this as a teacher or from up on my high horse. I write this email as another human unlearning racism and am calling myself in as much as you. So let’s take a deep breath and go there, together.

Fascism is rising around the world, this week far right mobs have been rioting and committing racist and Islamophobic terrorist attacks (let’s call it what it is) across the UK. We have been witnessing a live streamed genocide of the Palestinian people for over 10 months that would 100% NOT be happening with the support of the west if they were white people. Genocide in the Congo and Sudan (and so many other places) getting little to no coverage because of anti-blackness. Sonya Massey’s horrific murder by the police in the US, racist police brutality across the world in plain sight and so much more.

We have a responsibility to do the work both inside and out to fight racism. We (white people) are complicit (whether we realise it or not).

Witnessing the overtly racist far right terrorists with their union jack capes, enacting racially motivated violence likely evokes disgust and a hard ‘NO’ in your body. We know it’s fucked up right. I assume that if you are reading this, you do.

It’s easy for us to see how overt racism is harmful and to become complacent in the belief that ‘I’m one of the good ones’ and ‘I’m not racist, they are’ absolving ourselves of any actual responsibility. I used to do this, I still catch myself.

It’s not enough for us to just believe we are not racist whilst doing nothing about racism. It’s not enough for us to say we are not racist, without inquiring deeper. Without listening and learning from those who actually experience racism, without unlearning our own racism, AND taking action in line with our anti racist values.

‘‘White people desperately want to believe that only the lonely, isolated ‘whites only’ club members are racist. This is why the word racist offends ‘nice white people’ so deeply. It challenges their self- identification as good people. Sadly, most white people are more worried about being called racist than about whether or not their actions are in fact racist or harmful’’- Austin Channing Brown

It feels important to acknowledge that it’s our privilege that affords us the ability to dip out, to look away, to be apathetic, especially during these times.

Anti-racism isn’t a one time exploration that we can tick off a list, it’s a life long practice, a way of life that we need to commit to and recommit to over and over. Every day.

Again, I’m reminding myself of this as much as you.

Most of us here will be exploring embodied cycle awareness and we can apply some of the skills and capacity building we are doing in our cycle explorations to our anti-racism work too.

For example with the archetypal inner seasons of the cycle:

  • Winter- What vision are we holding for the world, is it an oppressive, individualistic one? How is liberation for all a part of it? How can we work towards a world where deep rest is available to every body?

  • Spring- Can we show up to this work willing to learn and explore with a beginners mind, over and over? Letting curiosity lead. Practicing hope so that we remember what we are fighting for.

  • Summer- Taking action, what are we actually doing? What solid anti racist actions are we committed to? How are we contributing in our communities? In finding our voice, what good will we use it for?

  • Autumn- Exploring our inner world and meeting ourselves with honesty, taking responsibility and facing ourselves in an un-shaming way, learning to discern, working with the inner critic and truth speaking. Letting our fire fuel aligned action.

Through our MCA practice we are building our capacity to feel, to experience discomfort, to listen deeply both inside and out.

We also go through an energetic death and rebirth process each cycle. We are invited to explore what needs to die for the new to be birthed. What beliefs and privileges need to go?

Within our cycle experience there are both qualities of agency (outer action) and encounter (inner exploration). One needs the other. You can read more about both qualities in the cycle here .

What I am trying to say is that there’s so much that we’re likely already exploring that can support our anti racism work, so lets use it.

I’ll pop a few resources below love (there is so much more to add but it’s a start), feel free to share any resources with me too.

Resources:

These are free/ low cost resources, if you have the means remember it is important that we pay BIPOC for their work.

“This work is not comfortable. Nor should it be. Some of what I will share will make you want to slam the book shut and you're probably going to hate me at times, but I urge you to keep going. Any pain and discomfort you feel is temporary and pales into comparison to what Black people and People of Colour often have to experience on a daily basis. On the other side of some of the most difficult realisations and exchanges with others, is huge transformation - that is where the work and change happens.’’

Nova Reid - The Good Ally

If you want to talk about this more do reach out, like I said absolutely not claiming to be all knowing, but here as someone learning and unlearning my own racism (and making mistakes along the way).

Sent with love for all of your humanness.

Hayley x

Hayley Dunne
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Building a Foundation for Trauma Healing: The Importance of Resourcing