On the 26th of June two of our exec members attended the Conscious Club's "Ōtautahi Stand the F*ck Up" event at 12 Bar. The event was an anti-racism gathering and celebration of the BIPOC community as well as the impact of social action in this space. The evening included four speakers as well as an opportunity for the audience to share their own stories. The evening was full of insight and education as well as awareness around BIPOC issues and the differences between knowledge and knowing.
The difference being information vs experience as stated by speaker Atama. For a non BIPOC, it cannot be understood to the same extent as although you can be fully educated around anti-racism and anti-discrimination this is different to knowing and experiencing this firsthand. This does not mean that education is unhelpful but simply being educated is not effective if you do not take action. Spreading information, correct information, is integral as in the words of Big Sima "misinformation in the hands of the ignorant is dangerous". Misleading information particularly on social media can hamper efforts to create change and spread awareness.
One of the most pivotal moments of the event was Mahdis Azarmandi's statement that "You should not require other people to constantly bleed so that you can learn." This was never something that we had fully considered in our journey's to be educated and aware of important issues. Constantly expecting those of the BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities to share their stories and experiences with instances of racism, sexism and general hatred just so you can understand is unfair. Nobody should be expected to lay out their history and experiences just for you to believe them when they say that this exists and is still prevalent in New Zealand.
Inherently casual racism is one of the biggest issues in New Zealand. Despite its name casual racism is not casual and is harmful to creating change and promoting anti-racism. As "racism isn't the exception, racist actions are the iterations of what is already there". Enforcing racist stereotypes and joking about different ethnicities is not and will never be funny. If you consider yourself not to be a racist but laugh every time one of your mates tells a racist joke then you are effectively lying to yourself. Being aware of racism is the first step but not the only step. Without actively creating change in your own life and social circles then you have to question if you can really call yourself "anti-racist". Saying something is just a joke does not make it inoffensive. Standing up to discrimination and "casual racism" is the bare minimum.
As a society focused on the promotion of intersectional feminism it would be irresponsible to ignore the impact of racism and the responsibility of everyone who considers themselves an intersectional feminist to actively stand up against discrimination of any kind. Earlier movements of feminism were often exclusionary of BIPOC females and it is our responsibility to ensure that in the post fourth wave context that this never occurs. Our exec will continue to strive to educate ourselves and to create safe spaces to hold events for everyone.
In the words of Mahdis, when it comes to racism "don't Columbus your own awakening". If you are Christchurch based make sure to check out the Stand Up Market next weekend supporting BIPOC creators and their whānau.
Brittany Baugh
(President UC Modern Feminist Society)