The thing about whiteness is that it’s loud. It’s the obnoxious man in a boardroom yelling ideas that aren’t his. It’s Karens going viral for screaming obscenities in craft stores. It’s not-so-micro aggressions. It’s overarching oppression. It’s mediocrity stomping over meritocracy. Even its silence is deafening. So, after George Floyd was callously killed by police and the white world at large seemed to be waking up to its garish privilege, it’s understandable that comfort was to be found in the phrase “listening and learning.”
Finally, white people were going to be quiet. They were going to see us, hear us, LISTEN to us. White influencers “muted” themselves in service of handing over their influence to creators of colour. Companies made vague pledges to “stand with” their Black employees. Historically racist institutions put out earnest video PSAs about their commitment to a “journey” of reflection. It was a global acknowledgement of a dire need for comprehensive anti-Black racism education, for media literacy, and for real empathy for marginalized communities.
That was the pitch, anyway.
