ANTI-RACISM DAILY

May 24, 2024

Exercise: How to witness the institutional and systemic dynamics in social justice issues.

TAKE ACTION

• For the sake of today’s lesson, we’re focusing on one recent incident on violence against cis women. Domestic violence happens against people of all gender identities, and disproportionately impacts Black women, trans people, particularly trans women, and Native women and Two-Spirit communities. Use the links here to take action accordingly.

• If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY). You can support their work by making a donation here.

GET EDUCATED

Sometimes, when we witness individual stories of harm, we can imply that this oppression persists because of the choices of individuals. That oppression may be overlooked and cast off as a “one-time event” as opposed to a persistent pattern of harm. We may do this unintentionally because we have limited awareness or proximity to an issue. Sometimes we do this intentionally so we don’t have to reckon with the scale and scope of abuse. When we do that, consciously or otherwise, we may overlook the institutions and systems that reinforce it. 

Let’s use an example of a recent headline to practice seeing the broader picture. Hip-hop mogul Diddy has been in the spotlight after repeatedly denying allegations of violence from several people in his circle, most notably singer-songwriter Cassie, who outlined a decade of abuse during their marriage. A recently released video from 2016 showed him brutally attacking her in a hotel, underscoring the validity of her claims and hinting at the violence tolerated in his circles. Here is a helpful overview of the entire series of events. It links to the video, but does not auto-play it on this page. The Cut >

Violence against women affects such a broad population and gained mainstream momentum during the #MeToo movement. I also know that most of our readers identify as women. I hope that this topic offers you a contextual way to see beyond one example of interpersonal harm to identify the institutional and systemic ways this type of violence is reinforced.

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS

What institutions (like companies, organizations, etc) were in play in this dynamic? How did they respond?

Harm between people or groups is rarely just about them. When reviewing an incident of harm, consider: what other organizations are present in this conversation, even if they weren’t there? Do they tolerate this type of behavior? How did they respond to the harm that occurred? How have they addressed it in the past? Here, we can reflect on the attitudes of other hip-hop moguls, responses from other women in hip-hop, and some of the related companies and organizations present in the allegations.

What other examples of this have I seen in my own lifetime?

Consider what other stories feel similar to this one. When you can recall from memory? What did you discover through researching this topic further? When we see multiple incidents of harm, it indicates that broader policies and practices are reinforcing it or enabling it to happen. In this case, are there other instances of Black women experiencing physical and sexual abuse? Other instances of women experiencing physical and sexual abuse from people with disproportionate power and privilege? Other instances of this violence in the music industry?

How do my parents talk about this? Or other elders in your life? How does that compare or contrast to the conversations you’re having? Conversations people younger than you are having?

This is a helpful way to understand how time shapes our understanding of this issue. Often, our social response can indicate how long this issue has persisted and what needs to be changed. Has this been an ongoing issue generationally? If you have this perspective, is it changing in the generations that follow yours?

Has there been studies about this? By whom, and why?

This offers another insight into time and helps to reinforce narrative-driven data with quantitative data. The lack of data doesn’t indicate that this isn’t a systemic issue; in fact, it might help contextualize how often this oppression is overlooked by academic and research-based institutions.

Have I seen this reflected in fiction? ie movies, books, or television shows?

The stories we tell matter: they reflect what we’re willing to tolerate and, increasingly, what we’re hoping to change. In this case, think both of normalized incidents of abuse against women and stories showing victims taking justice into their own hands (likely demonstrating how systems fail to protect).

How is this topic reported in the news, if at all?

First, look at whether or not the topic is reported on, and by whom. Media outlets that target the marginalized population are usually more likely to report on things than those that don’t. You can also review the sentiment of the media – are the victims centered, or the perpetrator? Is the language supportive, or condescending?

What commonly held social practices help protect this? 

Social practices reflect not just how you and your friends treat each other, but the normalized expectation in culture and society. Consider what social practices you’ve seen and learned about that reflect violence against women. This can be ways violence is normalized against women or common practices that women take to protect themselves and others.

What legislative decisions throughout our history have protected women from harm? Encouraged it? What is missing?

Systemic oppression is shaped by state and federal legislation. What examples of legislation have been passed to protect violence against women? What examples of legislation are insufficient, or fail to protect?

Of the community of those impacted, which are impacted the most?

We often (but not always) see that, across social justice issues, communities that are most marginalized are disproportionately impacted. What trends do you see across the questions above? This may require you to explore news, media, and narrative stories from communities that aren't as close to you. This practice of centering those most marginalized is helpful whenever you're trying to understand harm.

How do my thoughts, feelings, and behaviors reflect—or contrast with—grassroots organizations and community leaders who are addressing this issue?

Here’s an opportunity to not reflection on the institutional and systemic aspects of the oppression, but the individual ones – holding up a mirror to see how it’s reflected in you. Get honest here; it’s an opportunity to challenge your biases, understand what you may have internalized, and stay accountable for doing the work and supporting the movement with integrity.

What other questions would you add to this inquiry that you discoverd in this process? Which were most revealing to you? I recommend using this approach to explore issues you might not be familiar with or confused about, and tailoring it as you discover where you’ve gleaned the best insight. As you do, be sure to note the sources where you learned something different.

Let me know how this practice helped you by responding to this email - or any email.