The other day I went to Island Center Forest with some friends to walk our dogs. We entered at 188th Street. I used the porta-potty, and there above the urinal, written in bold marker, was a racist comment. I pulled out my phone, took a picture and showed my friends. This started a conversation on race and what race looks like on Vashon.
After that conversation, I reflected on the 2014 Pacific Science Center exhibit RACE: Are We So Different. The exhibit explored aspects of race and racism in the United States and included interactive exhibits that gave people the opportunity to challenge their belief systems on race — a virtual tour of the exhibit is available at understandingrace.org. I volunteered as a race workshop facilitator in conjunction with RACE: Are We So Different and the City of Seattle. The project did pre-and post-exhibit workshops for groups such as the Tacoma City Council, Yoga Behind Bars and the Cascade Bicycle Club. These workshops were designed to create a safe space to start a conversation on race.
Fear and guilt always come up when white people talk about race. What I learned from the workshops is that none of us asked for racism and that the current race structure was set up in the past. We are part of the present and the future and can become part of the solution, as we are all part of the picture. As a white person, I’ve usually viewed racism as something that happens to “other people” — as though I’m walking through an art museum and studying a painting on the wall titled “Racism in the U.S.” But the reality is that I am in the picture. Seeing the racist graffiti was a reminder that racism exists on Vashon and impacts me and my community. This started me looking at where I am in the picture and what the solution for racism is on the island.
The question I asked myself recently was why I hadn’t been more focused and tuned into my community, so I explored on the internet for Vashon resources on inclusion and anti-racism issues. I didn’t find much. I asked myself what would create a wave of knowledge and forethought on race here and challenge me to be more interactive with my community. The conclusion I came up with was to start a dialog on race to get people thinking.
I challenge community members to help start this conversation, to overcome your reluctance to talk with friends and family about race. Ask yourself when you became aware of race. Let’s face it: None of us were born aware of race, and how we became aware of race says a lot about our reference point and beliefs. Another question: When did you have a teacher of a different race than your own?
The answers to these questions for people of all races reflect the impact of the social construct on race. They help us explore where our ideas of race come from, which includes institutions, both government and private, family, education and religion.
This isn’t about looking at personal acts of racism; this is about becoming aware of where we, as white people, fit into the race equation. We need to have this conversation because of race disparities in our community. We can disagree about what causes them, but not about the reality that we live in a highly racialized society, even here on Vashon. Looking at the 2010 census data for Vashon, 4.6 percent of the population is people of color, 95.4 percent is white. Let’s take the 4.6 percent and the 95.4 percent and find a way to make Vashon whole. It’s important for all of us to be a part of this change in our community.
— Maridee Bonadea is an islander who works with the city of Seattle’s Race and
Social Justice Initiative.
