Not having to make things about race is a privilege

I don’t make everything about race; society does.

The people who complain that POCs make everything about race don’t understand that it’s not our choice. Race is a defining factor in our lives, and we can’t change that, even if we wanted to. I love being back, and I love my Jamaican heritage, but I don’t want to speak about it all the time.

POC don’t make everything about race. If you spend time with POC, then you’ll see that we don’t speak about race that much. It does come up due to it being a major factor in our lives, but we don’t make it our entire personality.

It’s not like when you go to the north of England, and all they speak about is being northern and working class.

Society makes everything about race. Race dictates what people think about you and how people treat you. People give out opportunities depending on race. POC have had to struggle for generations, all due to their race.

So please, have a moment of self-reflection before you tell a POC not to make everything about race.

Systemic and Institutional Bias

POC have to deal with the system that they live in, which does not work for them in many ways. We get unfair treatment in many areas of life, and we’re expected to get on with it. And for the most part, we do.

White people don’t have to think about the system for the most part, as it works for them. They don’t have to worry about how they’re treated in certain situations, and they can take the system for granted.

Some white people think they’re hard done by because they’re white, and that POC are given unfair advantages. Then they go and smash up their towns and cities to fight back. All these people prove is that they’re a danger to society, and their lack of success is justified.

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Hyper-Visibility and the “Representative” Burden

POC stick out in most environments; it’s one reason we’re always picked on. We can’t blend into the background and hide due to our complexion. When you’re the odd one out in a group, people tend to use that against you.

People love to identify what’s different about others in a group setting and use that against them. If it’s not race, then it’s something else.

We’re usually one of the few people of our race in any group, so we’re expected to represent our race and be a spokesperson for everyone. It doesn’t work as not all people of your skin colour are the same. We all have different backgrounds and experiences.

I’m black, but I’m not from the hood, so I can’t speak for someone from there. I have Jamaican ancestry, but I wasn’t born there, so I won’t have the same outlook as someone who was. If we’re being honest, I can only speak for myself.

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Microaggressions and Cumulative Stress

When you’re watching a POC, things might seem normal, but you don’t see that we don’t have the same interactions as white people. We get microaggressions coming out the ass some days. Sometimes you can handle it, and there are days when you’re not in the mood to deal with it.

We get followed around stores, we get rude comments from people when they don’t want us around, and we get blamed for bad things because to white people we “look like the type” to do it.

Why do I need to defend myself when all I was doing was existing? Meanwhile, the real culprit is right there committing the offences in front of everyone’s face. Because of their appearance, they go under the radar.

Small digs once in a while won’t phase you, but when these things happen on a weekly basis over decades can wear you down. This is why I hate when privileged white women come up to you and tell you to smile. Complaining about people not smiling enough is peak privilege.

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Cultural Identity and History

When you’re a POC in a white country, your cultural identity and history get attacked. Some white people get offended when I bring up that I’m black, as if not acknowledging race is somehow more progressive.

Then you have people who like to alter and mock history. Serious history that in some cases has destroyed lives for generations — like colonisation. They expect you to laugh with them for some reason.

You have people mocking your people’s accent, the way they dress, the music, and what they eat, etc. As a kid, you don’t want to be made fun of, so if everyone is mocking your culture, you may move away from it to fit in.

When I started to take pride in who I am, it annoyed people or made them feel uncomfortable. I’m not even loud about it, but they give you a face as if you’ve just farted and it’s stunk out the room.

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