This is how they see us

When They See Us, is the new Netflix series exposing the racial, political and class issues in the United States of America. Co-written and directed by Ava Duvernay it recounts the case of the Central Park Five. The story of Black and Hispanic children from Harlem who were wrongly accused of raping a white woman in the spring of 1989 in New York City.

Without giving away any significant spoilers, I watched in absolute horror a scene of interrogation and vicious police violence. The scene is heavy and was hard to stomach. The sheer brutality of it makes it hard to believe that this happened to children. 

Except, I experienced a similar situation a few years back whilst living in Brazil. Without warning, the scene triggered a memory I had buried in my sub-conscious. I was falsely accused of grand burglary of a computer store for one simple reason: Blackness.

A direct quote from the police interrogators was: 

”You were the only black person working there.”

”It had to be you.”

The Bad Cop – Good Cop act happened for over two hours, during the ordeal my personal belongings were thrown everywhere. Tables and chairs were bounced off walls; ending with threats to my life and my family.

”Nobody is going to miss a blackie like you…”

I felt completely powerless. I can’t imagine what it was like for those children in 1989, but I sure got a taste of it.

I honestly blocked out most of that interaction but one thing I remember at the time of the interrogation is that maybe I did something wrong – maybe I was involved. You start to doubt your sanity. You lose track of reality. Suggestion, gaslighting, abuse and torture are convincing tools.

When I visited the police station with my lawyer he was told that I was never there. That such interrogation never happened and it was best to drop it. We complied.

Less than human

The dehumanisation of our children starts before they are born. Black women experience up to four times more complications at birth than white women. Studies have shown that children considered attractive are graded higher than other children for the same work in classrooms. Racial biases go beyond classrooms and hospital wards and spill into every ramification of life.

My children although not dark-skinned, as their mother is of European descent, have distinctive non-Anglo facial and body features. I personally, don’t use the word mixed or bi-racial as I disapprove of them, but for this article’s sake, this is how my children look.

Sadly, there are daily microaggressions disguised as compliments directed at my children such as:

” Your hair looks beautiful…” 

”I love your long eyelashes…”

”Your skin is so beautiful…”

What seems to be an innocent and naive interaction is a daily reminder to my kids that they don’t belong, that they are different and that everyone knows they are different. By the time we are adults, we are trained and skilled in deflecting this ”casual/recreational racism” by either pushing back or calling people out on their racist behaviour.

Devil is in the details

Recently, at an (all white) kids party, my children were singled out by the organiser as ”messy”.  

The assumptions are in total disregard to People of Colours (POC) children’s lives. They are dangerous. Assumptions kill and imprison us every day. Ava Duverney’s series showed us that young Black lives don’t matter.

The devil is in the details and the meticulous ways racism works. Whiteness works in silence. United in keeping its power and privilege at all costs. Whiteness does not budge on individuality or its humanity.

Even ”white people” written in a sentence is perceived as an act of aggression.

This is how they see us.

Until around 150 years ago we were seen as 3/5 of a person.

We are seen as undeserving of human dignity.

We are seen as impostors in our existence.

The assumption is that we don’t belong. That anything can be done to us.

Racism in Kindergarten

My daughters’ first experience with racism was in kindergarten, at the age of three. She was harassed by two other girls who said her skin was the ”colour of poo.”

It is painful trying to explain to your child what happened with limited vocabulary. When they are so little. Although experiences like this are attached to emotional baggage, the lesson usually is that white parents can’t be trusted when they continue to ignore the existence of race.

If my children can take anything positive from this experience, it’s knowing tolerance early in life, so future racist behaviour by others won’t surprise them.

Whiteness is protection… which fuels white fragility – creating a never-ending cycle. On the other hand, POC and Black kids when older may be saddened, upset, angry, in resignation or even disappointed by racism and racist conduct. But they will not be surprised, they are not afforded this privilege.  

Guido Melo is Afro-Brazilian living in Melbourne (Naarm), Australia. He is a passionate advocate for racial equality and an active member of Melbourne’s political and social scene. Guido is a Brazilian music aficionado, a fashionista, a photography enthusiast, a digital marketing and social media manager and a contributor writer for Black Inc’s anthology ”Growing Up African in Australia”.

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