DON’T TOUCH MY HAIR!

VIDEO: DON´T TOUCH MY HAIR

The situation depicted in the video is familiar to many. “Can I touch your hair? … I’ve never touched hair like that before, “and “always wanted to touch it.” Some people don’t even ask. They touch your hair as if it is their right. Horrified is their reaction when you refuse or dare to call them racist. “It was just a joke. Don’t overreact like that!” is the usual reaction.

TEST YOURSELF

Have you ever had the following thoughts after pointing out someone’s racist behaviour?

If one or more of these points apply to you, then you have most likely already been manipulated with racial gaslighting. Suddenly you are questioning yourself and your reactions. You are no longer sure what is really racist. It is first important to understand that the problem is NOT you. In the following you will learn more about this issue.

My presence in Germany is taken for granted and no one is surprised about my knowledge of German.

I can be late for meetings without it being interpreted as a sign of my ‘whiteness’.

I am not made aware that my body shape/odour represents my skin colour.

When I look for a flat or a job, my skin colour is not an obstacle.

I get dolls, postcards, picture books, school books and co. quite easily with people of my skin colour depicted.

If I want to talk to a person in charge, they are pretty sure to have my skin colour.

I am not constantly asked about my origins.

I am not treated differently from an early age, I don’t get ‘nicknames’ based on the colour of my skin.

I have the choice to confront racism if I want to.

I’ve never had problems going to a club, bar or event because of the colour of my skin.

There are many more such examples. But they have one thing in common – they are white privileges. Current advantages that you have because of your innate skin colour. They are often described as invisibility, because people are not aware of the existence of these privileges because they are taken for granted. Of course, if you look further back, there are other such advantages. An example is not only ‘no enslavement’ but also ‘belonging to the master race’ etc. Read up on this topic.

VIDEO: WHY DO YOU LOOK AT ME?

DO I TEND TO WHITE FRAGILITY?

You don’t see why you should say chocolate kisses now.

You are not a racist, you hate Nazis.

You demand that people stop talking to you about racism or discrimination immediately.

You are involved in organisations and therefore you cannot be racist.

You’re horrified, you’re angry when people call you on white fragility.

Racism has nothing to do with you at all!

You do have Black children/or partner

You demand that people stop talking to you about racism or discrimination immediately.

You don’t understand why you are accused of this.

You have many friends who are “non-German”.

You love the culture and the food.

If you use one or more of these arguments when you are accused of racism, you have white fragility inside you. This does not mean that you are a bad person or a neo-Nazi. You grew up in a racist system and that’s why you are socialised to be racist. It is important that you recognise racism as a real system. Stop individualising racism. Racism must be understood as a norm and not as a deviation. Educate yourself on the issue. Apologise. Be open to learning new things. Accept feedback.

ABOUT OUR REFEREE

I have been active in the Global New Generation Berlin eV association since 2009. I started as a child acting in the musicals and workshops. Racism has been a stable companion in my life from the beginning. Participating in the offers of the association convinced me and showed me many ways of dealing with it and how to defend myself. I have experienced a lot of racist violence myself and also an incident that went to court. I have contacted newspapers, given interviews on German and Turkish television about this issue, given lectures and also written my own articles. My motto is: never be silent, because if you are silent you have lost. 22 years old, I wrote my first project and learned how to use my skills to help other people. The most recent project was one that addressed the issue of racism and raised awareness. Today, I am proud to be on the board of this association and can actively help.