Impact
How Whiteness Has Established the Bar
with Erika Wesley
June 11, 2020
When, African-American man, George Floyd was killed as a result of police brutality late last month, protests arose calling for justice and change for the many years of suffering the Black community in America has endured at the hands of white people.
I recently took time to talk to Erika Wesley, a 31 year-old half African-American and half Filipino from San Francisco’s Bay Area, Calif., to hear about the racism she’s experienced growing up as a Black woman in America.
“There are so many types of racism,” Ms. Wesley explained, “if we’re going to talk about racism we should at least touch on all [forms] of them, because that’s part of why people are protesting” she said. What happened to Mr. Floyd was an example of systemic and institutional racism where police used force, that turned fatal, against a person of color. In the aftermath of Mr. Floy'd’s death protests erupted across the country against the gross dehumanization of people of color in the U.S. “Racism is built into our systems, judicial, healthcare, education, foster care and I think police brutality is a result of that,” said Ms. Wesley.
What Ms. Wesley and I spent most of our time discussing was implied racism, in particular colorism, and how she has had to deal with this throughout her life. “Whiteness has established the bar,” she said, “the bar of what is beauty, success and how to act and speak.” Ms. Wesley told me she always thought she was “too dark and felt ugly.” Whilst she was rarely explicitly told this, the lack of Black models in advertising campaigns and watching how her white or lighter skinned friends were treated differently to her was more powerful than the spoken word.
“There’s unsaid pressure to conform [to the bar] white people have set in America”’ she said. In addition to Ms. Wesley feeling insecure about the color of her skin she has also faced issues with her hair. “I never wear my hair down or leave it natural [at work] until I feel my co-workers and boss know me well enough to not judge me.” Fros aren’t accepted as pretty in a society dominated by models with glistening silky smooth hair. Regardless of the way it’s communicated, the implication of being different is always felt. “It’s reinforced at all levels, in all ways, all the time, that what you are naturally [as a Black woman] isn’t enough.” The subtleties of implied racism are what cause the most damaging impacts on individuals.
“I think the problem is people think racism comes in one form and it doesn't,” Ms. Wesley said, and that because of her “approachable look,” meaning that she is well put together, she hasn’t been exposed to the more traditionally known forms of racism such as violence that a Black woman of a lower socio-economic status is likely to encounter. Instead she has experienced colorism, where she has been treated differently to her friends and colleagues in social and professional situations as a result of her the color of her skin.
Words: Alice I’Anson 2020
Cover Image: Erika Wesley 2020
Growing up, Ms. Wesley lived in a white neighborhood, her parents drove nice cars and had successful careers, she went to a predominantly white school, yet still spent most of her time with her Black classmates, the minority. Being part of a well to do family never protected her from experiencing colorism.
As well as colorism, Ms. Wesley has still experienced more obvious forms of racism often when she’s been out at bars with her white friends. Constant stares, particularly when as she’s the only Black person in her group or racist comments, whether they were intended to be so or not, are common occurrences. On one occasion she was approached by a white man at a bar who said “you’re pretty for a Black girl.” As shocking as this experience was, unfortunately for Ms. Wesley it did not come as a surprise. She has become so accustomed to people behaving this way towards her, particularly in public, that she finds it normal, “it doesn’t even phase me [anymore],” she said.
Ms. Wesley did not show much emotion when she spoke to me, she simply recounted her stories and experiences in a matter of fact way. Later she told me that she had spent time over the last couple of weeks crying in her apartment with only her dog as a witness, overwhelmed at what was happening around her.
Abolishing slavery was a pivotal moment in the country’s history, and while it’s an important milestone America still has a long way to go for Black American’s like Ms. Wesley to feel safe in her own country. So that they can count on the police to protect them, so they can drive nice cars without being questioned, so that children don’t have to witness their parents being held at gunpoint for a broken taillight, so that Ms. Wesley can go for a run in a white neighborhood and feel like she belongs.