We need to talk about anti-Black racism within Arab/SWANA communities.
(TW: anti-Black racism, enslavement, and racial violence.)
Acknowledgement: The complexities and depth of anti-Black racism with Arab/SWANA communities is great. This article is but a drop in the ocean of discourse surrounding the subject. I have chosen particular points that reflect my personal reflections and asks, holding that I am but 1 lens of many. In order to even begin to offer the justice due to this subject I would at minimum need to write an entire book. With that said, my aim, hope, and intention is that this article can begin to start overdue conversations, introspections, and calls to radically transform the current racial divides and racisms. I want to also acknowledge my long list of loving friends, family, and kin who have stood by me, honoured me, and empowered me within the very same communities. This article though, focuses on the larger collective conscious and systemic injustices that must be dismantled.
I’ve long lost count of instances where my attempts to extend solidarity and allyship in various spaces have left me bearing the weight of anti-Black racism within my own Arab/SWANA community. I’ve encountered questioning looks, the surprised realization that a Black woman could speak Arabic, the revelation that Arabic is spoken in Sudan, and the discomforting experiences of…
