Sometimes scrolling through my Instagram and Facebook feeds overwhelm me. There is always so much going on that if you’re not completely centered that day, you’re sure to be swept up in the madness that is social media. That hasn’t been the case recently. Lately I have been seeing such a widespread display of not only solidarity but one of camaraderie.
BLM
It’s been great seeing the allies and even better, accomplices, standing up for the cause that is BLM, police brutality on black and brown bodies, and systemic racism. But that’s not necessarily the camaraderie I’m talking about. I’m talking about lots of my black and brown colleagues, friends, and acquaintances finally speaking out on their not so pleasant experiences in life, specifically in the realm of Arts. It seems as if we are all tired of having to grin and bear it -a thought process.
In an earlier post I wrote on my experience surrounding my first protest, I briefly touched on the microaggressions that I, myself, have faced, but I didn’t go into detail. I figured this would be the perfect time to share. Not because I’m trying to shame anyone, although these things are indeed shameful (no need to sugarcoat). But instead to inform anyone who might read this that, “These things do happen.” (Pay attention to that quote. It’s important and will be addressed later in this post).
A quick little note
Racism and microaggressions have always been a part of my life but I haven’t always been aware of them.
***I feel like this is important to note because sometimes, non peoples of color believe that they don’t need to be educated on what this stuff is. I, too had to educate myself. Once you know what you to look for, you will see just how much of it actually exists and how much of it you have been living with before your “awakening.”***
Anyways, I wanted to share a few of my experiences dealing with these topics.
Story Time
I worked really hard through my educational career. I always had a high GPA, attended my classes, did my homework. I always tried to be the best. When I got to college, I was one of a few people to receive what the department considered a “full scholarship.” I put that in quotes because I still had PLENTY of school to pay for so that scholarship felt more like partial…I’m still thankful nonetheless. I worked very hard in my classes there.
One day, the dean of the department asked me to participate in one of the department’s many donor fundraisers. That was a shock! All I had to do was show up in my cocktail attire, show my pearly whites, and mingle with the potential donors. Simple enough. It wasn’t until I got there that the true nature of my existence had been revealed.
Something sinister
It only took one time for a donor to tell me that, “I spoke so well!” for it to sink in. I have to give a disclaimer. By this point, I am used to people telling me that. After all, strangers tell my mom just how well behaved and well spoken her children are, all the time! I took pride in that because my mom was a teacher. It was like the ultimate compliment…until it wasn’t. I obviously went back to my hosting duties, seemingly un-phased by the earlier comments.
Professional Life
SEVERAL years later, I was working for a largely known Broadway show. If you know the show, you’ll get my reference earlier in this post. That day, we were having a put-in. A put-in is basically another way of saying a dress rehearsal. I had performed a particular part the night before and one of the head creatives had a note for me. That’s a correction for all non-theater readers. The note was, “Adryan, you didn’t make it on stage far enough before the gun fired. I didn’t see you. I want to see a dead black man lying on the stage.” *Crickets*……………yea. He said that to me. Keep in mind that this is RIGHT SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BLM CRISES.
Say wha?
Because he is my boss, I kind of awkwardly said, “OK”. (Just grin and bear it-a thought process.) I ran out of there as soon as I could. Thinking back on it, I should’ve said something but I didn’t feel empowered enough. To be honest, I was 1 of 4 black people in the entire production out of some 50 plus non black. We were all used to these kinds of things happening.
A Teachable Moment
So in order to take advantage of this opportunity, I want to briefly explain why these things are not ok.
-Being an educated person and having a grasp of the English language is NOT reserved for white people.
-Understanding decorum and having proper manners is NOT reserved for white people.
-I don’t even need to tell you why the last one was unacceptable.
These are just a couple of examples of the many indecencies that people of color have to deal with in the arts alone. There is a much larger list:
-Black dancers are too muscular to be classical ballet dancers
-Black artists have to provide the urban, ethnic, or cultural flare
-Black actors are only good enough to be in predominately black shows
-Black musicians can only specialize in hip hop, or gospel.
Y’all this list can go on. Let’s stop this please. We are all tired of ‘just grin and bear it-a thought process. Start to educate yourselves. EVERYONE can use education.
For more information on the BLM movement, feel free to visit their website.
http://www.blacklivesmatter.com
Until next time…stay COLORFUL!
