I’ve been thinking a lot about the Black Lives Matter movement, more specifically in the context of Australia.
I think it’d be remiss of us - Australians - to think that we don’t face similar issues right here. Or that white privilege or racism do not exist here.
On Australia Day 2019, I watched a live TV interview with Scott Morrison, PM, who was asked what he had to say to Indigenous people who were finding the day difficult and he said:
"1788, the 26th of January was a pretty difficult day for my ancestors as well.”
I mean really?
Acknowledging our history is uncomfortable. And for some, examining our own beliefs and behaviours to identify our prejudices and biases even more so.
Personally, I’d rather be an uncomfortable, aware actively anti-racist ally than comfortable and ignorant.
I’ve found this document on Australian Black Lives Matter a really helpful tool for self-education and action-taking.
Why am I talking about this here? We’re all people. This conversation is relevant in workplaces, with your colleagues, with your boss. It’s relevant in your home, with your kids, with your loved ones.
This matters to all of us. No matter where we live. No matter the colour of your skin tone.
And, one of the key skills of emotional intelligence is empathy.
It’s a common misconception that empathy can’t be developed. It can. It is a skill.
But, there are some interesting things to note:
1️⃣ To help save time, your brain creates empathy biases that tell you to “relate to people who are like me.”
2️⃣ Research shows that we empathise most easily with people that are members of our in-groups - i.e. the people we perceive as being most like us. See point above.
This empathy bias can be harmful and lead to ignorance if we’re not mindful of it, or refuse to acknowledge it.
When we’re unaware of our biases, that can blind us to all the ways in which we’re privileged. And this doesn’t just apply to ethnicity.
Why?
When we see others as different to us, less than us or de-humanise them, it impairs our ability to empathise with them.
It stops us from relating.
It stops us from listening.
It stops us from learning.
It stops us from speaking out against racism.
It stops us from seeing people who are outside of our ‘in groups’ as human beings, who are at the most fundamental level, just. like. us.
It stops us from seeing others as mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, friends, and deduces them to the status of other. Or a statistic.
It’s important to know what in-groups we identify with, and what out groups we may have biases towards. I encourage you to grab a pen and paper and actually write down all your in-groups and out-groups so you can see where you might need to do some work. I’m doing the same.
Then it’s important to take action.
