Racial justice work is self-care.
Today is the day the federal government celebrates the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. It’s a day many share their favorite or thought provoking quotes of MLK Jr. This will last about a day until people move onto another topic of discussion or thought. My question will happen tomorrow? I think Martin Luther King Jr. was one for the best but he was hated during this time, he was not seen the way he is now and ultimately he was murdered for speaking out against the white power structure, white supremacy and racism. He was not only interested in love and peace but about challenging structures and systems that kept people unequal and oppressed. At the end of his life, he was seeking to cast the light on all forms of injustice including the war in Vietnam, the death penalty and poverty in general as a power imbalance within the the larger society.
As a white social worker, it is my responsibility to keep the work and actions of Martin Luther King Jr. alive in the present moment so I need to challenge the racism within myself, my work, my community, larger society and within the profession of social work in general. Social work has a dark history of oppression through the foster care trains, involvement in Native American children being removed from their communities, the child welfare system, creating a white savior complex, and lack of voracious opposition to racism and the criminal justice system is an extension of Jim Crow.
The work of social workers means challenging systems that enable those in power and with power.
Nowhere is this seen more than the system that perpetuates racism and white supremacy. It’s a the root of the American culture and many societies around the world. When we make society more just, more equal and equitable; it makes the community better for others but also for ourselves including reducing are own fear, are own contribution to suffering and our own anger/resentment of others. People are connected to each other. My suffering is your suffering and your suffering is mine as well as your use of resources, the impact on your family/children are also impacted in my life.
So, as a white social worker, please do the work to address racial injustice which means to read books by authors of colors, on topics of racial justice or injustice and white supremacy, watch movies that call out white supremacy, join white ally groups/initiative, listen to people of color when they are angry or feeling unjustly treated by systems, go through racial justice institutes/healing, and call out what you see. I think it is also important to live in diverse areas, work in diverse areas and have friend groups that don’t only look like you. The work is life long since we live in the water we swim in and like many white people I’ve missed some important clues and message. It’s not goal but a process that is profound, emotional, scary but so wonderful!
