The Normalisation of Hate

Hate isn't new, but today, it feels louder, sharper, and more normalised than it has been in decades. When I was a young boy, my parents would tell me and my siblings about some of the struggles they had while surviving in the South. They told us to stay positive because the hatred against people of colour would eventually go away when we became adults. I now understand how they wanted to protect us by not telling us the whole truth.

Do you remember the first time you had to deal with negative verbal abuse because of the colour of your skin or an accent when you used your voice? It's not something that you can forget or bury. Walking to school, I was a 6-year-old Black boy stopped by the police because I resembled someone who had robbed a 7-11 store. As always, being very curious, I had many questions. I wanted to know what a 7-11 was and where was the neighbourhood where the store was robbed. I finally asked the two police officers what did robbing mean? They laughed among themselves and dropped me off at my primary school. Throughout my entire life living in America, I don't remember a day when I wasn't harassed because of the colour of my skin.

Racism has climbed out of the shadows and into everyday spaces, online, in sports, on public transport, in politics, media, and casual conversation. What used to be whispered is now boldly declared. The question is: Why now? It feels like racism and hatred has become a public sport, especially under racist leaderships in government and in the workplace. Today, the president of America is despised by other world leaders for his racism and hatred of any one of colour, even if they voted for him or contributed money his campaign. Poor people and those of colour who believed his deceit are beginning to see their mistakes, although it's too late for many of them to reverse their commitments. Many hardworking immigrants have been deported out of America in an effort to make America great again or to be controlled by white supremacists who feel superior to everyone else.

The answer starts with the invisible machinery behind our screens. Social media rewards outrage. Algorithms amplify anger. Political rhetoric fuse division. Extremist groups recruit those with similar beliefs in broad daylight. Hate has gone digital and it continues to multiply through racist podcast and news outlets reporting fake news to increase their audience. Social media gives cowards the platform to be racist. It's ironic how many Americans have a thirst for re-segregation or the Jim Crow era (1870 to 1960s).

Over the past few weeks, I was introduced to an incredible documentary about racism in sports and how every athlete of colour has been attacked on various social media networks and also when they are playing on the field. Regardless of the sport, every player of colour has dealt with negative slurs from fans. Tony Armstrong is an Australian television personality with the Australian Broadcast Corporation (ABC) and former footballer who decided to share personal experiences through interviews with other Black, Brown, or Indigenous athletes. He is also looking at a variety ways of making a difference by stopping racism on social media platforms and encouraging other athletes to speak out. Armstrong believes that it's time to turn off the tap on racism. It needs to be addressed from the top leadership in all companies and getting government officials involved is essential. Check out this great documentary at https://youtu.be/g2GZ3kZAzgA?si=URJK3P_sL57z7dum.

The most dangerous shift of all is not the existence of racism, but the comfort people feel expressing it to attack others. Most of those shouting racial slurs believe they have the right to share their opinions in an attempt to make themselves feel superior to all people of colour. Surprise, no one is superior to another human being. People confuse honesty with hostility, forgetting that bigotry is not a personality trait, it's a learned behaviour that is taught to young children. Racism today hides behind excuses such as, it's just a joke, you are too sensitive, or it wasn't meant that way. Hatred thrives in the soil of denial and jealousy.

Fear is the fuel of racist behaviours. People cling to prejudice when they are afraid of change, feeling discomfort, or afraid of losing their status, and privileges. Fear can cloud good judgement, distort reality and breed blame. It all comes at an emotional cost to the mind, body, and soul. For people of colour, this normalisation is exhausting. It's emotionally draining, dangerous, dehumanising, and traumatising.

In order to counter hatred, we must:

• Speak the Truth

• Educate with Clarity

• Challenge Stereotypes

• Build Real Allyship

• Protect Marginalised Voices

• Refuse to Normalise Cruelty

Hate is loud right now, but courage can be louder. Empathy and truth can be louder. This is not a time to whisper. It's a time to stand together and support each other.