I’m a Canadian cisgender woman of Middle Eastern descent from a Christian minority in the Middle East and North Africa. I pass for white, and am white-adjacent. As such, I benefit from that privilege daily. Within white-dominated fields of academia, publishing, and libraries, white and white-adjacent participants must recognize problems that have led to the continuation of erasing Black voices, particularly women’s contributions. Several issues in this realm must stop. These include:
- taking credit for the work of marginalized people, including people of colour,
- not citing at all, mis-citing, and
- the promising of false commitments to uphold the tenets of racial equity and justice while being performative and insincere.
I stand with WOC + LIB, an organization founded by librarians Lorin Jackson and LaQuanda Onyemeh. They call on white library workers to deal with historical and ongoing trauma caused by continued reinforcement of white supremacist ideals and a glaring absence of critical examination toward the fact that they are causing harm with this ignorance.
Please support Cite Black Women, an organization which aims to enable people to consciously think about incorporating Black women into their work.
Drawing from the work of Black creator and instructor Nisi Shawl, I am also vigilant of the importance to be conscious of our status as guests. Non-Black and other ‘visitor’ status bearers have the opportunity to work within someone else’s sandbox area–that of cultures and racial experiences outside of our own. It is crucial for guests to demonstrate respect, humility, and an acknowledgment of status in these spheres. At any time if someone shows themselves to be a bad faith actor or an ‘invader‘ (Shawl) that invitation can and will be revoked.
Here is more from Shawl herself:
“Invaders,” “Tourists,” and “Guests.” Invaders arrive without warning, take whatever they want for use in whatever way they see fit. They destroy without thinking anything that appears to them to be valueless. They stay as long as they like, leave at their own convenience. Theirs is a position of entitlement without allegiance.
Tourists are expected. They’re generally a nuisance, but at least they pay their way. They can be accommodated. Tourists may be ignorant, but they can be intelligent as well, and are therefore educable.
Guests are invited. Their relationships with their hosts can become long-term commitments and are often reciprocal.
From “Appropriate Cultural Appropriation” by Nisi Shawl, Writing the Other website
Some of the scholars whose work is seminal in the areas I have research include but are not limited to:
- Dr Afua Cooper
- Dr Melissa N Shaw,
- Professor and Writer Tananarive Due,
- the creators of the documentary “Horror Noire” who are Xavier Burgin, Ashlee Blackwell, Danielle Burrows,
- and the writer of the text which provided the basis for the work, by Robin R. Means Coleman.
- The works of Dr. Kinitra Brooks,
- Dr Ibram X Kendi
- Dr. Cheysa Burke,
- Dr. John Jennings,
- Dr. Reynaldo Anderson,
- Phenderson Djéli Clark
- Ijeoma Olou
- Dr Kerri K Greenidge
- Dr Imani Perry
- Dr Noël M. Voltz of Case Western Reserve University
- Dr Brandon T Jett of Florida Southwestern State College
- Dr Warren Milteer Junior of University of North Carolina
- Dr Robin Bernstein, Dillon Professor of American History, Harvard University
- Dr Hilary N. Green
- Dr Stephanie E. Jones Rogers
- Dr Walter D Greason
- Dr Stephen Railton
- Dr Ben Railton
- Clint Smith, PhD, journalist, The Atlantic
- Dr Julian Chambliss
- Kimberlé Crenshaw
- Dr Kidada E Williams
- Dr Koritha Mitchell
- And growing …
Anita E. Siraki, Library Professional 