From Alexandra Dal: "Questions" - Notes from an Aspiring Humanitarian

Assumptions can be hurtful. Sometimes, we can experience similar situations in entirely different ways. One thing I appreciate about this cartoon is the way that it displays these similar, yet very different situations right next to each other.

For me,when talking about my experiences with racism with people who are white, I sometimes encounter a tendency to try to normalize my experiences as “typical” and non-harmful because they may have not had that experience before.

“No, you weren’t being followed in the store, I’m sure they were just doing their job.”

“Why worry about getting pulled over? If you’re not doing anything wrong, you’ll be fine.”

“I get excellent care and great service whenever I go to that hospital. Are you sure you just weren’t having a bad day?”

Statements like these, although well-intentioned, ultimately result in minimizing the experience being shared, and at the same time, creating yet another instance of marginalization.

I think this visual can be a useful tool to help bridge the gap, or highlight missing pieces that can sometimes be lost when people of color may try to communicate how different their day-to-day experiences can be from the day-to-day experiences of people who are white.

What do you think? What else do you see in this picture?

Originally seen here at Alexandra Dal.

Also, check out The Microaggressions Project.

Ubuntu,

From Aspiring Humanitarian, Relando Thompkins, MSW

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