José Machuca van Grinsven: Whiteness

Vanaf 25 november bloggen we weer in het kader van de White Ribbon Campagne: Wat voor man wil jij zijn om gendergerelateerd geweld te voorkomen? Schrijf mee!

Er bestaat een parallel tussen het patriarchaat en witte overheersing. De strijd voor vrouwen- en mannenemancipatie, erkenning van genderidentiteit, gelijkwaardigheid van mensen van kleur gaat daarom logischerwijze hand in hand. In onderstaand gedicht is de parallel en de gezamenlijke strijd te lezen. Want, geweld naar vrouwen is verbonden met witheid. Zolang witheid bestaat, zal geweld naar vrouwen blijven bestaan.

Whiteness

Whiteness is the problem
It shines so bright
that it makes you blind
to see the problem of being white

Whiteness takes all the places
and makes them white places
with white faces
white faces in white spaces
white places with white faces

Your whiteness is spreading
its spreading like a virus
like always
since the construction of your whiteness

Your whiteness is hurting us
the non whites without the whiteness
Your whiteness is power
talking about your whiteness unites us
your whiteness unites us
talking about your whiteness gives us power
talking about your whiteness
and your weakness
your whiteness is our business

Every day we witness
your whiteness your brightness
that blinds your insecurities
Your whiteness seems priceless
but we pay every day in full

We are much more than your whiteness
we are with more than you, with your whiteness
the whiteness is the problem
your whiteness is so devilish

your whiteness, white privilege,
white saviour, white reflex,
white tears, white fragility,
white fear, white anger

white aggression, white supremacy
white actors, whiteness is a deception
an illusion that is sustained for centuries

Next chapter: White lies are endless