Steps to Becoming Anti-Racist With Dr. Rachel Zellars
Written by: Gabriel MacAdam
Thumbnail Photo by Chris Henry on Unsplash
Dr. Rachel Zellars of the Social Justice and Community Studies Department, Saint Mary’s University. Photo by smu.ca
Who is Dr. Rachel Zellars?
Dr. Rachel Zellars is a lawyer and assistant professor in the Department of Social Justice and Community Studies at Saint Mary’s University. Dr. Zellars’ research focuses on the histories of anti-black education in Canada along with slavery in the Maritimes dating back to the 18th century. She is an expert in the field of implicit bias and studies the relationship between bias and anti-blackness. She is also a community organizer and facilitator and her community work focuses primarily on supporting survivors of gender violence and accountability structures within Black communities. What is Black Lives Matter?
Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a social movement formed in 2013, dedicated to fighting anti-black racism, specifically in the form of police brutality. The objective of the BLM movement aims to draw attention to instances in which people of colour are treated unfairly and discriminated against on the basis of their skin colour whether this be institutional, systemic and individual. Institutional and systemic racism is expressed or exerted by an institution. Often this includes unequal treatment and services to particular groups or the rejection of accessibility to said institutions. Conversely, individual racism is expressed or exerted from one individual onto another. The BLM movement has fought anti-black racism through political action, petitions and public protests. The movement culminated in May of 2020 after the murder of George Floyd (an unarmed black man), who was killed by Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin. Floyd was pronounced dead after Chauvin knelt on his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Officers J. Alexander Keung, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao stood by and did nothing despite Floyd’s cries for help and repeated complaints “I can’t breathe”. Video footage of Floyd’s murder circulated worldwide triggering massive outrage and protests all around the world. As Dr. Zellars commented, “we are in an absolutely unprecedented time [where] tens of thousands are uprising around this movement.”
Why All Over the World?
The dehumanization of Black people does not pertain to a geographical region because racism and anti-blackness is an ideology that exists everywhere. It is for this reason that protests have sparked all around the world. Racism is not an issue solely within Western society but is a global issue. Dr. Zellars explains that “every major city around the world has had some kind of uprising and protest, [because] anti-blackness is the trans-national issue”. From shutting down the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco to Gathering at London’s Parliament Square to rallying in front of the JR Shubiya Station in Tokyo. These protests are and have been taking place worldwide, including the heart of Halifax where protests filled Spring Garden Road and outside of the David P. Mackinnon police station on June 1st and 5th, 2020.
Why Are These Protests Happening?
These protests force us to pay attention to the conditions of state violence and the conditions that foster these forms of violence. In particular, the BLM movement has enacted two key demands for social change: a) defund the police and b) abolition (of the kinds of state violence black people experience). According to Dr. Zellars, there is “way too much investment in punitive models, [and we] must shift money into experts and institutions whose goals are to heal and help people directly, such as, drug addiction, homelessness and mental health.” Punitive models relating to the justice system aim to punish as a means of ‘teaching a lesson’ to the defendant.
For instance, in many cases, the plaintiff (victim) in a criminal case may request punitive damages, which is money over and above the actual cost or harm done. However, the punitive model fails to acknowledge that many defendants are coming from severely disadvantaged backgrounds, and cannot always afford the financial burden these fees ensue. Rather than building society up through rehabilitation, the punitive model neglects the root of the problem and its context. Furthermore, Dr. Zellars suggests that we strive to abolish “all systems of surveillance, including our police system, prisons, and the justice system” that discriminate against people of colour.
What Can We Do?
Study and read. Learning about issues of race and topics surrounding discrimination reduces ignorance and takes the weight off of those who face racism and discrimination in terms of having to be responsible to educate. Expecting an oppressed group to be responsible for educating others on the topic of racism is unrealistic and an entitled way of thinking, which simply adds stress to that particular group having to deal with oppression. For this reason, Dr. Zellars highlights several novels to help understand the implications of racism. These novels include White Fragility by Robin Diangelo, Between the World and Me by Ta-Nahisi Coates and Dr. Zellars’ personal favourite, North to Bondage by Harvey Whitfield. Robin Diangelo’s White Fragility discusses how even in her poverty and her struggle of growing up poor, she recognizes that ‘whiteness’ is a privilege in comparison to poor Black children. Ta-Nahisi Coates’ Between the World and Me discusses what it's like being in and having a black body and Harvey Whitfield’s North to Bondage draws attention to racism in the Maritimes, which helps better understand our history as Nova Scotians and understand the Black experience in Nova Scotia.
Be an ally. Don’t just say that you are an ally, be an ally. Rather than solely posting on social media this means actively taking part in the BLM movement by protesting, supporting Black-owned businesses, and donating to charities that help Black communities. In other words, if you’re going to talk the “talk”, then walk the “walk,” so to speak. Allyship is key because in order to tackle racism we must be unified rather than divided. While this is true, Dr. Zellars emphasizes that it is important for White people “to engage in humility” and to “take the backseat”. Show your support by taking on the responsibility of self-informing and attending protests, signing petitions, purchasing products or services from Black-owned businesses and donating to charities. Some of these charities include BLM, The Equal Justice Initiative, bail relief funds like The Bail Project and victim funds, which directly support a victim’s family members.
Acknowledge your implicit bias. As Dr. Zellars puts it, “if you have a brain, you have a bias.” In other words, all human beings are susceptible to implicit bias on the basis that we make assumptions based on our experiences and intake of information. With that said, Dr. Zellars explains that universally “the most consistent form of bias is anti-black, [because ] we all carry remnants of settler racism.”
Check your fake allyship. Do not say “Black lives matter,” unless you truly support it and are following steps 1 through 3. As Dr. Zellars states, “you cannot in good faith write about solidarity statements like “Black lives matter” unless you're actively engaging in solidarity or your institutions are supporting solidarity”. In other words, Zellars states that you and your institutions cannot ethically claim to support BLM without any action that contributes toward BLM. This does not mean denouncing your institutions, however, this does mean denouncing the ideologies and sentiment of institutions that do not support BLM. People are the backbone of institutions whether they be educational, religious, municipal or governmental and holding yourself and your institutions accountable offers the ability for revitalization.
Consequently, the BLM movement has culminated and spread worldwide in light of recent police brutalities experienced by people of colour and the rising racial tension within the United States of America. For this reason, Dr. Zellars offers useful and inciteful information toward combating anti-black racism with her steps to becoming anti-racist. These steps include learning about issues of race, being an ally, acknowledging implicit bias and verifying who’s an ally through accountability.