Language Liberation and Racism
I have watched African leaders in RC webinars be constantly interrupted by white participants whose first language is English. None of us white native-English-speaking RCers want to perpetrate racism, but this constant interruption is racist.
The legacy of empire in our white native-English-speaking minds has left an unaware, unacknowledged feeling that the language we forced on others is still “ours” and should be spoken as closely to the way we speak it as possible. This is not right. The language now belongs to everyone, and every way of speaking it is equally good and understandable.
The legacy of empire means that some native English speakers do not put any, or much, effort into “tuning in” to other versions of English. I think this is racism.
We white native English speakers often act as though we are entitled to understand every word, while expecting non-native English speakers to be content with getting the gist [basic meaning]. Or we just assume that they do understand every word of “our” English. I think this is racism.
African leaders’ being constantly interrupted by us white native English speakers shows that we think our need to understand is more important than the leader’s need to follow their train of thought, say important things, and express themselves fully in their own way. I think this is racism.
I have never been in a Zoom webinar in which native English speakers were consistently interrupted by non-native English speakers.
We white native English speakers can discharge our racism in the context of language liberation as well as everywhere else. This will help us understand all forms of English and all languages. We will cherish them all, and all who speak them, equally.
Olney, Buckinghamshire, England
Reprinted from the RC e-mail discussion list for leaders in care of the environment
(Present Time 207, April 2022)