The Master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house
-Audre Lorde
Been thinking a lot of how we do the individual and collective work of dismantling the
master’s house aka white supremacy, how do we continue the work without
succumbing, falling prey to the deeply lodged and internalized tools of the master; tools
such as shaming, blaming, dividing, cancelling, admonishing — colonizer patterns
normalized and internalized.
What are tools we can use that unite and engage rather then divide and distance one
another? Can we white folks recognize the difference between being shamed and
feeling ashamed? Can we let remorse guide us rather than shame and guilt sink us?
What are your tools? or as legendary reggae artist, Jimmy Cliff says, what is your bang?
cause…
“Everybody got a bang, bang, bang
Take your stand and make your bang…”
My tools. My Bang.
Fingers across keyboard, pen across page a catalyst for writings into the world, whether
calling in/calling forward organizations/workplaces/good intentioned, popular white
bodied teachers; blog pieces shared on various platforms; a novel, poems and essays;
and/or letters to the powers that be.
Community facilitation/mediation, learning/sharpening as a means of creating ‘safe
enough’ ‘brave enough’ spaces where difficult challenging conversations are intentional
and welcomed; where the white folks’ series: Awakening to our Whiteness/ Embodying
Radical Responsibility continues to move out into the world, where monthly white folk
accountability and commitment circles are in the making; where shifting white dominant
culture into building antiracist identity/culture within various workspaces is happening….
Teaching/facilitating/mediating deep embodied listening, a warrior tool in understanding
personal, interpersonal, systemic conflict inside and outside ourselves as a means to
transformative justice and peace.
Daily rigorous critical compassionate self-reflection, helping me show up real and raw
as the unseen pages of my journals.
Grief tending, grieving a loss of innocence in order to open up more fully to the horrors
of a system that weaponizes race, favouring white over brown and black skin, dividing
and conquering, murdering, pillaging, hiding, denying…
Meditation/mindfulness, becoming more intimate with the colonized patterns of my
mind, so i can build a relationship with my body, mind and heart to feel more fully the
intense feelings arising, to notice, to stay, to feel, in order to create an ally of my body,
mind and heart in the struggle ahead.
What are your tools? What is your bang?
May we find our unique tools and bang that no longer mimic the master’s tools so we
can work on dismantling white supremacy lodged deep in our bodies hearts and minds
hopefully then leading to collaboration and co creation towards a new house, a People’s
house where everyone is free.