My sister and I were studying at a coffee shop in Durham when we overheard a conversation between three people about the problems they felt existed within and were caused by “those migrants” in Europe.
The conversation closed with a final deduction which nobody at the table disputed; the woman let out an exasperated sigh ending with “It’s all Islam. It’s a violent religion. It promotes radicalism.” My sister and I got up and approached their table to caution them against using Islamophobic language and imaging Muslims as violent people. We cited that there are very real implications for Islamophobia — especially here in Chapel Hill with the hate crime against and killing of Our Three Winners, at which point the woman interjected — “Well, that was all about a parking dispute.”
Throughout this debacle, I noticed that a group of white women next to us had completely stopped what they were doing. All five of them seemed to be undergoing a sudden stupor and proceeded to stare silently at my sister and me.
Back at the table, the white man was flustered that he was being checked; the first thing that came forth from his mouth was an argument about free speech. So I encouraged them to be careful about how they think and speak about the people of an entire religion, and we left amidst a showering of protestations by the white man who by now appeared more red than white. The five white women continued to stare at my sister and me as we walked out. Still motionless, still silent.
As we left the cafe, one of the women sitting at the table ran out to us, apparently having suddenly overcome her trance, and, once outside the coffee shop, blurted: “I just wanted to say that I and everyone at our table totally agree with you. We all thought those people were very rude to you, and I know about what happened in Chapel Hill, it was horrible, and I know it wasn’t about a parking dispute.”
White guilt is what pushed this woman to come out and talk to us. White cowardice is what kept her silent in the first place. Why it is still necessary to say this in 2016 is entirely beyond me, but here it is for you in plain, sans serif font: It is simply unacceptable for folks to stand by silently and let racism and Islamophobia go unchecked.
I challenged her: “You could go in right now, walk up to those people and say what you just said to me. You could have even said that while I was talking to them.” She smiled, taken aback. She then began mumbling something about, “I haven’t read enough, you are so articulate, but I have to still read more...”
Ultimately, it was white discomfort that maintained her silence. To white people, and to anyone who remains silent and allows racism, Islamophobia and any system of oppression to go unchecked, this anecdote is not brought to you to beg you to stand up in solidarity.
This is a story to help you get moving, to demand that you snap out of your motionless stupor and discomfort and get on that anti-racist work. You are just as culpable if you don’t.
