INTERVIEWS: ELLEN JONES. NUS WALES PRESIDENT.
What is your biggest challenge when talking about race? I often feel when I’m talking about race that it is hard for me to represent the viewpoints of those who face marginalisation, often when challenging racist views I am confident in my arguments but I do not feel that as a spokesperson I can accurately represent the experiences of people of colour. I recognise it is not my role as white woman to speak on behalf of people of colour but my role is to represent the issues of racism and mysognoir and to elevate the voices of those who it effects. How do you describe whiteness and the impact of this? Whiteness for me is not an identity I feel that many white people do not see themselves as white or categorise themselves in that way, which is a privilege in itself. The main reasons why white people don’t understand the implications of race is because they don’t face them, and they don’t have to make themselves aware of them if they don’t want to. Our education systems in the UK fuels this with white curriculums and celebrations of historic white victories such as colonialism which had a devastating impact on many people of colour. Racism will not go away until we educate ourselves on the experiences of others. Can you provide an example of how you have practiced anti racism? I practice anti-racism by being an active bystander rather than a passive one, if I see acts of racism or even people I know making jokes I challenge them in order to see that their views are harmful.
How would you explain white privilege to your peers? I find explaining white privilege to peers who have no former interest in liberation really challenging. I often I begin with making people understand that they have been given chances in their life because of the colour of their skin. They may not contribute to racist agendas, and have liberal ideologies but they still benefit from institutionalised discrimination, as many parts of our society were built by white people for white people. Often becoming a good ally is a journey but I encourage people to listen, understand and educate themselves and they will begin to see the injustices we white people gain from every day rather than be defensive when challenged. Do you personally work with Black led programmes, if so are there any things that you have to consider? I work as President of NUS Wales alongside the Black students campaign, however my role is to make sure their voices are heard in the decisions that we make as well as using my privilege to elevate them. What is your view on the term ‘microaggression’? I don’t really have a view on the phrase but I can understand from personal experience a build-up of comments whether it be on your race, sexuality, or gender over time can bring you to a point of wanting to break down as well as a negative effect on self-esteem.
PEEKABOO WE SEE YOU: WHITENESS // 85
