Why the Words We Use About "Race" Are Never Neutral

Hello {{ first name | friends}},

This is the second and last part of a micro-series on the language and framing I use in SARN and the reasons for those choices. Check out part 1 on Identity and Language. Today, I'm digging deeper into some of the practices and experiences that some people find challenging. Let me set the scene with this ...

A lot of people claim to be anti-racist in mission statements, LinkedIn profiles and bios. That's not the same as doing the work. In SARN, I frame anti-racism as an active, ongoing practice. It's not always about doing large things for visibility and clout; sometimes it's about that quiet, consistent work. It's why I often end essays with something you can do: whether that's to be more aware, or to actually do something to counter inequality where you are. And of course, anti-racism is never done. It's not a training course to be checked off, it's a lifelong commitment, to be taken seriously.

When we talk about racism, it's easy to focus on individuals, and individuals definitely do harm. But if we only see the person and not the system, we're missing a crucial piece of the puzzle. That's why you'll often see me write about "structural racism" and "systemic racism" in SARN as a way of bringing that to the fore. Because otherwise important factors go unnoticed, and that is deliberate. Systems that advantage whiteness were designed to appear neutral, default, or simply "how things are". Our job as anti-racists is to look beyond the obvious to whose expertise gets cited and whose gets ignored, to sentencing disparities, to pay gaps and hiring practices, to what is true representation and what is actually tokenism. Here's a starting point: Structural Racism and Power: Three Questions Answered.

Say the word "privilege" and some folx are immediately ready to push back. It's heard as an accusation, when it's a description of the unearned advantages that come with certain identities and cultures. However, as with everything, there are nuances with this term. The best way to illustrate them is with this quote from Is Privilege Situational?