I have had a series of disempowering experiences in my interactions with White Gatekeepers and White Institutions in the arts and cultural sector of Australia. My experiences have demonstrated to me how deeply colonized many of our cultural institutions are. Out of these experiences, I have summarized the following survival strategies that I hope will assist Creatives of Colour to navigate these unsafe spaces strategically. You can also add your own strategy - just scroll to the bottom of this page!
Survival Strategies for Creatives of Colour living and creating on the colonised lands of ‘Australia’:
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Align yourself with those who have lost the most and who have the most to lose from colonization, i.e. First Nations and BIPOC. If it is not safe for them, it will not be safe for you. If a predominantly White space does not treat a First Nations person or a Blak person as a full human being, they will not see you as a full human being either. They might see you through the lens of ‘model minority’ or ‘one of the good ones’ (whether they are conscious of it or not), which is still seeing you through a dehumanizing lens.
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Listen to White People’s actions, not their words. Listen for what is not said. In my experience, White people may say they are an ally, they may make you promises to shed themselves in the light of an ally- but don’t believe them. Believe their actions. Also, beware of the motivations behind their actions. It is very rare to meet a White Ally whose actions are not self-serving in some form or another (e.g. they do what they do to make themselves feel good, rather than actually understanding that they have a responsibility to ‘pay back’ some of the privilege that has helped them to coast through life, by ‘doing’ as an ally would).
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In work relationships, get everything in writing that will protect you, e.g. a contract that protects your rights. White Institutions speak through the written word. This is how colonization works. If you’ve decided to work with a colonized institution (and most are), get your rights in writing, push back until you are protected to the degree that you feel comfortable to be working within such an unsafe setting. Otherwise- no deal.
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Ask for help from allies- be they First Nations, People of Colour or White. White Allies often have access to rooms behind closed doors that you do not have access to, or if you have access to these rooms, often as a POC you are deliberately curated into the minority. So, speak to them privately to speak up on your behalf (if you do not have access to these rooms), or strategize before a meeting so they can vocally have your back during a particular meeting. Be strategic. Put allies to work. (White people: This is where White allies can make a huge difference.) It will be less risky for them to speak up about matters of race, how White Supremacy and White Fragility are playing out in a particular work context. In fact, White Allies often reap the benefits of speaking up- they are seen as a ‘good, woke, White person’. Oh, the irony.
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Look out for red flags. Who are the people it is safe to tell the whole story to? Who deserves only the abridged version? Who can only tolerate a one-sentence explanation (before they become defensive, attack you or gaslight your version of events?) And who should you disengage with completely in order to keep you safe? Your safety matters. Your wellbeing matters. It is not your job to educate them. You do not have to prove your experiences are valid. Conserve your energy. (Also remember- not all skin folk are kin folk.)
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Rest and recover. We are in this for the long haul, to benefit generations to come. You have to take care of yourself in order to last. Exhaustion, shorter life spans, poorer health outcomes are all supposed to happen. This system is designed to kill you, slowly or quickly. So, rest, recover, get up to live another day.
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Know what your values are. Check in with them regularly to see if what you are doing is serving your core values. Ask yourself regularly: Why am I doing this? Do your answers make sense with the situation you find yourself in? Is it worth the trauma?
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If you are consenting to your image being used for a White institution’s benefit, ask yourself if there’s a way you can benefit at least just as much or even more from exploiting that institution. Is it at least a mutually exploitative arrangement? Otherwise, beware. You are being used to lure other People of Colour into thinking that institution is safe to be in, when in fact all they’re doing is exploiting your image without giving you anything in return.
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Who are the community who will support you, no matter what? The ones who already see you as fully human, without you having to prove your value to them? Stay connected with them. Draw on them for support. If appropriate, formally recruit them into your team, make sure they are present at meetings with you, to advocate for you, support you, help to keep you safe.
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Consult and learn from your elders. At my angriest moment, when my anger was crippling and led me to lie down in my hopelessness, my mother said three things to me:
- You are allowed to be angry.
- You do not have to forgive straight away.
- Ultimately, what will keep your and your team’s dignity?
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Beware of lateral violence. One definition of lateral violence (as provided by Mick Gooda, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner from 2009-2016 and Richard Frankland) is: "Lateral violence is often described as 'internalised colonialism' and according to Richard Frankland includes: [T]he organised, harmful behaviours that we do to each other collectively as part of an oppressed group: within our families; within our organisations and; within our communities. When we are consistently oppressed we live with great fear and great anger and we often turn on those who are closest to us." The theory behind lateral violence explains that this behaviour is often the result of disadvantage, discrimination and oppression, and that it arises from working within a society that is not designed for our way of doing things." (Social Justice Report, 2011)
Some ways in which I have observed lateral violence in action is in the insidious form of jealousy, malicious gossip and/or a tearing down of a peer/ friend in public forums. In the face of lateral violence, I try to remember: Who does it benefit when we tear each other down? What ideology, what system, what structure, what culture becomes stronger when we tear each other down?
(Additional thank you to Dr. Michael Mohammed Ahmad from Sweatshop for our conversations on this topic.)
Strategies From Contributor
Janel Yau
Reflecting on my own experience, I've been working in predominantly White Institutions for 4 years in Australia but it feels like decades. Previously I worked in Hong Kong where positions of power were also held by white people. Colonisation is worldwide. Through all of this, I am still very privileged. I am an able-bodied bilingual immigrant that has access to work in cities like Hong Kong and Melbourne. I hope these points can help someone too.
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Support other POC in your workplace (if there's any). There's a lot of internalised trauma when you're the only minority. Make effort to reach out to them, by supporting them you are also supporting yourself.
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It's really tiring and not your role to educate white people and no one ever wants to be that person to always highlight things that are deemed insensitive, inappropriate and racist. At the same time we have to CALL. IT. OUT. But we must pick our battles wisely. I still find this confusing and sometimes it's just plain tiring. That's ok too.
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If there's is another POC who doesn't feel they have experienced, understand or even see the struggle you've experienced. Know it's not their fault. I have numerous past experiences of trying to befriend co-workers who are non-Anglo, only to have met with blank stares and sometimes even no acknowledgement. I have to admit, I'm sure I've done this to others too. Catch yourself. White supremacy is strong and anyone can a victim or even carry symptoms.
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I have been profiled to represent a company I work for is diverse. I did it because they did make efforts in recruitment and it was encouraged by another POC who I trust. Being the model minority is sometimes not a choice, but the status quo. As you climb up the institutional ladder, it can be lonely. I may have gain certain access, but where are my people? Don't forget about your community. Being the only representative has huge pressures, but it means so much.
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This one is going to sound silly. But have a laugh. There's nothing funnier than white people not getting it. Or when you try to explain or educate them it's met with complete twisted nonsense. It's actually one of most entertaining and empowering things to do. To laugh at people who Just. Don't. Get. It.
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Know you're not alone. Even though it sometimes feels like it.
Anonymous
Beware of organisations (including ones in creative industries) which utilise recruitment agencies - it's much easier to get rid of people if they're on precarious, casual contracts set up via a third party; easier to bully (covert racism is difficult to prove); easier to destroy reputations; contracts can require that you sign away all intellectual property rights. Recruitment agencies also take a significant cut of the money available to pay you. If an organisation won't employ you directly, it isn't worth working for them.
