Breaking Down Racial Barriers: Navigating Race with EQ

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." - Barack Obama

In today's society, the topic of race elicits strong emotions from every segment of the divide. For African-Americans and all people of color (POC), racism and the fight for equality have been an ongoing uphill battle for centuries. On the other hand, there are non-Black allies who are stepping up to join the fight against systemic racism for the first time.

And while this is a welcomed development, it is by no means a cure-all. For this partnership to produce fruit it's necessary to set some ground rules to ensure that efforts are led by emotionally intelligent action and not by reactions to pain and hurt. We need to develop our EQ to move human relations to the forefront

A New World

For starters, white allies are entering a new space in race relations. They are learning and unlearning things that they may have never known before. Some may have been raised in an environment that perpetuated racism, and it can take time to break free from these biases. They need patience and understanding because they don't know what they don't know. As such, it becomes the responsibility of the African-American community to approach this process with empathy, understanding that it takes time to break free from ingrained beliefs and habits.

Additionally, it is important for white allies to remember that African-Americans and people of color are also entering a new space in race relations. Creators like historian and author, Elizabeth Leiba says that the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, as well as the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, have brought to the forefront the injustices and systemic racism that we have faced for centuries. But for the first time since The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, the rest of the world paid attention.

With the advent of the internet, the world today is more connected than ever. In the past, our only way to find out what was happening in other places was through major news outlets. Today, leaders like Isvari Maranwe have used their social media followers to tell more authentic stories. As we navigate this new space where more people can be heard, we need to exhibit empathy and patience to allow space for them to get it wrong. The one caveat is that we must agree to use that space for building up, and not for tearing apart.

How do we do it

"No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite." - Nelson Mandela

Grace & Empathy

So, how do we move beyond race? It starts with empathy and grace. Black people must be willing to extend these qualities to our white allies. We must recognize that change is a process and that it takes time to undo centuries of ingrained biases. Similarly, white allies must be patient and understanding, recognizing that the way they experience the world is different. Everyone involved must believe that everyone else wants to greater good to be served. Without that belief, there is nothing to be gained. Only infighting and strife.

The fight against racism requires collaboration and understanding from all sides. Black people must show empathy and grace towards our white allies. We must learn how to be supportive and how to accept support. We must recognize that allies are entering a new space in race relations. Similarly, white allies must be patient and understanding, recognizing that they also have a lot to learn and unlearn.

As we navigate this new space, we must all be willing to use active listening and recognize that everyone's experience is unique and valid. By doing so, we can move our narrative beyond race and towards a more just and equitable world.

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