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Hired by White Women: a reflection by an artist of color in Minneapolis
“The world is before you and you need not take it or leave it as it was when you came in.” — James Baldwin
Because I currently make my living as a freelancer in the arts and education realms, I suppose I end up giving white women a lot of power, although I am also supported by white women who hire me and with whom I work to get things done that we both agree should be done. It’s transactional – and both impersonal and personal. I find it can be hard to map the blurs between power, gratitude, ingratitude, mutuality, and colonialism. I’m trying to take a moment to reflect on this so I can move forward staying true to my values, not just the quest for gigs. I want to do what I can to make sure I’m not just bolstering white supremacy and fooling myself into thinking I’m being a part of making antiracist change.
Activist Daniel Hunter in his book Building a Movement to End the New Jim Crow: an organizing guide, talks about four major roles in movements (in no particular order; he uses a grid):
helper
rebel
advocate
organizer
As an artist and writer, I don’t really fall into any of these categories, although…
