I DON’T HATE WHITE PEOPLE, I JUST CAN’T STAND WHITE SUPREMACY.
JULIE WRIGHT, MA CENTRAL SAINT MARTINS GRADUATE.
Whiteness. Every time I try to critique it I’m asked: “Do you hate white people?” or worse “You’re racist!” I remember in Vienna whilst myself and Melodie were delivering a lecture, one student in the audience asked a question about reverse racism and something along the lines of when black students create a space for themselves and say no white people are allowed it can be seen as that. It took me a while to get my head around the question but as soon as it was my turn to answer I had to educate her in something white people never have to think about. My response was reverse racism isn’t real. When black people create spaces that’s for us and only us, it isn’t about racism or even excluding white people. It’s about creating a space where we can support, uplift each other and be ourselves without having to worry about the white gaze, the microscope as I like to call it. We don’t need to think about performing under it or being scrutinized, feeling uncomfortable etc. because I’m sure every black person knows about that feeling of being the only black person in a room filled with white people (you can refer to Jordan Peele’s film get out to get a glimpse of what I’m talking about). I can remember my most recent experience was being the only black person in an entire building of white people in London’s Belgravia interning for this eyewear company 116 // PEEKABOO WE SEE YOU: WHITENESS
where I would consistently find myself listening to Kojey Radicals - 22 winters album to and from the office because the subtle and sometimes not so subtle micro aggression had my blackness being glared at from 10am – 6pm, 5 days a week. The pressure of being under the white gaze and not living up to any stereotypes such as the angry black women wore thin on my mental and emotional health as it almost felt like I was being antagonised and goaded into falling into that stereotype. If I say nothing it will continue, if I say something this justifies why they were treating me in that way. “See, I knew she was like that. That’s why I didn’t want to give her the job in the first place” or “This is why I didn’t like her and knew she wasn’t the right fit for the job”. Damned if we do and damned if we don’t, a common tale that we experience under the white gaze. I don’t hate white people. I just hate white supremacy. White supremacy happens to only benefit white people and whenever a PoC critiques that, retaliating by accusing them of being racist or hating white people is a silencing tactic. A tactic used to oppress. White supremacy makes room for white people to oppress people of colour thus the cycle continues. Another example of this was again in Vienna, a White male lecturer approached Melodie asking the
