Bayan Scholars Engage in Real Talk about anti-Blackness

Bayan recently held a “Real Talk” dialogue to discuss how we individually and collectively circulate anti-Blackness. By “anti-blackness,” we mean beliefs, words, actions, inaction, or policies that perpetuate racism toward African Americans. Anti-Blackness is a relatively new term. It is not meant to replace terms like “racism;” the term distinguishes racism that specifically targets African Americans. 

Twenty students and Southwestern professionals of Filipino descent met in small and large group discussions. We wrestled with questions probing our experiences observing anti-Blackness, how we contribute to anti-Blackness, what stops us from confronting our own anti-Blackness, and what prevents us from speaking out or taking action against anti-Blackness. 

The impetus for the program was three-fold. Part of our motivation came from some of our members' participation in Asian Solidarity Collective of San Diego's Anti-Blackness Convo. Another is the fact that the Bayan Learning Community will soon share a physical space on campus, "The Hub,"  with UMOJA, the African American Learning Community and the PUENTE program, the Latinx Learning Community. An overarching aim of this event is that Bayan is a space where Filipino/a American students prepare themselves not just to know themselves but also to prepare to enter and build a multicultural, multiracial, interethnic world. 

We knew we had to be purposeful in order to play a part to build an anti-racist world. And we recognized that this work requires self-awareness and consciousness of our own particular and collective relationship to anti-Blackness. This is why we needed to speak amongst ourselves and share our stories in order to be better at combating anti-Blackness.

Students mentioned anxiety about participating; many had never addressed the issue until this event. Being among friends made the convo feel less scary. “Anti-Blackness is a touchy subject,” one student wrote in his reflection on the event. “It makes me think about everyone that has been affected by this. . . .[And yet] I knew that I was not going to have much difficulty once I saw my group. I was paired with people that I’m close with, so I was open to sharing.” 

The dialogue structure helped one student be brave: “Having the faculty facilitate the conversation helped me open up about my anti-Black attitude and behaviors because there was someone there to guide the conversation and steer it into a new direction if things were about to get heated.” That environment helped folks tell difficult truths: “What surprised me about the event was that a lot of us [witnessed] some sort of anti-Black racism.” 

Goals and Communication Habits to Encourage Real Talk 

Many realized how anti-Blackness seeped into our lives. One recalled how he was “conditioned” to be anti-Black: “I remember as a young kid, my family would tell me to stay away from black people because they are criminals and a bad influence on others. At the time, I believed my parents. And for a long time, I had mixed feelings and views about Black people.” However, having African American people in his life changed his views, how real connection combats stereotypes: “In middle school, I started to meet and have more Black friends and they were able to change my perspective . . . and allowed me to break out the false messages about Black people.” 

Others mentioned how “colorism” in the Filipino community, the way lighter complexion is valued over dark skin tones, factors into anti-Blackness. Sharing those experiences unveiled how “colonial mentality” reinforces anti-Blackness. “We are sometimes inherently racist at times, and we don't even know it,” wrote another scholar, “especially stories about Filipino parents telling their children to not play outside to not darken their skin.” One student wrote about how internalized racism predisposes us to anti-Black attitudes.”Colonial mentality of ‘white skin equaling beauty’ in the Philippines is negatively affecting darker toned Filipinos and positively reinforcing Western ideals. It is prominent enough that when you travel to the Philippines, skin whitening products are all over the market and on the TV.”

This line of discussion revealed how we don’t spend intentionally talking about internal struggles ;like colonial mentality. One shared a common story: “ When I was younger, I was met with a lot of confusion of whether or not Filipinos were considered Asians or Pacific Islanders.” Someone else noted that, “Self awareness about our own Filipinx identity and experiences [can] help us deal with anti-blackness because it allows us to share our story” helping us to see points of connection and responsibility.

One student’s response summarized what many expressed: “I personally do not engage in addressing anti-Blackness because prior to this event, I did not know about this topic. Now that I am aware, I would engage in a deeper discussion on anti-Blackness with my peers.” She states how she wants to bring the conversation to others in her life: “ I would also talk to my parents about this topic because I have a close enough relationship with them where I can bring up issues such as anti-Blackness and have a conversation with my parents without any of us becoming "offended" by what one of us is saying.” Her final comment points to a possible follow up “Real Talk” - how to specifically address or “call in” someone saying or doing something anti-Black

We covered a lot of ground in two hours.Naming our contribution to anti-Blackness is a good first step. Recognizing how anti-Blackness is rooted in home-training and our historical experience with imperialism and colonial mentality is another important step. These revelations point to an analogous histories of marginalization African Americans and Filipinos face in the United States. That “family of resemblance” perhaps provides a point of connection and empathy. 

At the same time, there’s more work to do. Folks recognized we must link awareness and stories with action. One student mentioned the relationship between “looking inward” and taking action: “We gain more knowledge and awareness when we combat stereotypes and stand up for one another. I personally gain a sense of gratitude and more awareness of situations that try to bring races down.” His words remind us that awareness and action build upon one another, helping us be better: “I try my absolute best to stand up for people who are being discriminated against. If someone is getting bullied or is being excluded, I try to help to de-escalate the situation by either talking to them or defending them.”

Big salamat to Bayan Scholars for giving us permission to share their reflections.