Reflections on Black History Month: Performative Allyship and Black Tokenism in Wellness

The trauma of slavery is ingrained in the DNA of black people today. The trauma of that share of cognitive dissonance is ingrained in the DNA of white people today. - Janelle Pearson

When deciding as a company how we wanted to approach speaking about Black History Month, we had a lot of mixed feels! Today, Janelle and Thais reflect and speak about what performative allyship often looks like during Black History Month in wellness spaces. They share and describe generously many ways that white communities, organizations, and companies can step up to support black men and women by sacrificing time, power, and sharing resources to better uplift black communities in their grounded allyship.

Covered in this episode:

  • How brands capitalize and co-opt Black History Month

  • Black tokenism in the wellness space

  • The importance of rest for the black community

  • How white people can be better allies and what performative allyship looks like

  • How most wellness spaces have centered white, cis-gendered, heteronormative, and affluent people and co-opted many indigenous practices

  • Tips for white communities and white companies to be better allies

  • The complexities of the black female and male dynamic

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They use this month to talk about the black things that have happened or the black inventions, and you just realize how some people use blackness as an option, or blackness as a tool for consumerism or to further capitalism. When push comes to shove, when it's not Black History Month, the question is where are you and what is your voice? - Thais Francis

I have to ask myself if I were to put myself in their shoes, would I be willing to give up the power and the authority? And I'd like to say yes, because I'm a human being and I want fairness and equality for all, and if I see my fellow human being suffering, then I suffer too. - Janelle Pearson

There's something you can always do to sacrifice and to take that extra step and yes, inconvenience herself. That's it. You're going to have to break yourself out of that mold and that space of comfort in order to actually be an ally. - Janelle Pearson

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Anchor, Breaker, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic

SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…

If you liked this episode, check out "The Problematic Language of Manifestation and Wealth as Wellness with Amanda Chase" where Michelle and guest Amanda Chase spill the tea on the problematic language of modern manifestation circles, toxic positivity, and the harm caused by brands who sell us the idea that through material accumulation and manifestation, we can find true happiness.

SHOW NOTES

  • [00:02:00] Thais and Janelle talk about the Black History month and the ways that brands utilize their platforms to pander just to make make money

  • [00:04:35] How can you apply the advantages that you have as a company? The resources that you have as a company to further the advancement of black people in the worlds of education, economics, real estate, and wellness

  • [00:07:24] Janelle shares a story from an episode of Blackish

  • [00:08:40] Public schools don’t get the resources until white kids start going there. That’s why it’s important for white kids to be enrolled into public school.

  • [00:11:38] The Idea of capitalism and individualism further separates an ingrained system for oppression

  • [00:13:37] At the end of the day, we are all human beings. We are in a space where we have an opportunity to celebrate the things that we all bring to the table that are different

  • [00:15:27] After white people reconcile with what has happened and they’ve done their healing, then what do you think could be helpful next steps? After you do your reconciling and healing, what are you going to do?

  • [00:18:58] Fact is, there are black people who are still being murdered in the street right now.

  • [00:21:48] You have to break yourself out of that mold, that space of comfort in order to actually be an ally

  • [00:25:14] Our responsibility as black people in our community, to the greater black community and to ourselves is how do we center our peace and joy or happiness to this time

  • [00:25:33] Janelle shares that she’s grateful and very much recognizes the privilege that she lives in her life. To be able to have access to these types of things, to have the mind space, and to even think about resting

  • [00:34:50] We all hope that we will all get to the place where we recognize that we are all human beings. People not associating the fact that these are human beings out in the streets that are being murdered for nothing more than the color of their skin because they’ve been taught to be feared

  • [00:36:18] Another way to sacrifice is do monthly subscription to anti-racist community or foundation, support them on social media sites and can also support non-monetary as well

  • [00:42:35] Thais talks about Francis Beale. Double jeopardy, to be black and to be a woman.

  • [00:58:55] Check out the powershift.org, it’s a checklist for white allies against racism. 30 different questions to see how anti-racist you are

  • [01:02:45] Outro of the Podcast

People and Resources Mentioned

Michelle Pellizzon