Antiracism in the Wedding Industry: How do we Move Beyond the Black Square?
In 2020 the wedding industry seems to be waking up--along with most of the country--to say that Black Lives Matter and we will not tolerate racism in our spaces.
Many vendors posted a black square on Instagram to symbolize a solemn swear to "do better" as citizens and advocate for equity and anti-racism. But how does the wedding and event industry move beyond the black square to follow through on the declaration that we will not tolerate racism?
How can the wedding industry become antiracist?
Wedding and Event Vendor Alliance will be welcoming new members this month and becoming a member of the Alliance requires a commitment to antiracism.
As part of this pledge, our members must participate in at least 8 hours of antiracism or diversity education every year. Self-education has a critical role in one’s commitment to being inclusive, diverse and antiracist, which is why continued education is required of our members and sponsors.
Our public statement is as follows:
Wedding and Event Vendor Alliance (“WEVA”) rejects all forms of racism. Racism in any form will not be tolerated here or in any events associated with this Alliance. WEVA is committed to the mission of increasing cultural respect by cultivating greater understanding of concepts of diversity, inclusion, equity, implicit bias, white privilege, white supremacy, and systemic racism specifically within the wedding and event industry.
As a founding member I want to explain the intention behind this policy and why our members participate in antiracism and diversity education each year.
Our antiracism policy exists because as business owners and citizens, we cannot be "neutral" on racism in an industry and in a state, where we are known for our lack of diversity (snow white-covered mountains, white churches, white steeples, white people).
White allies and advocates must stand up with our BIPOC community members for growth, diversity and inclusion in the wedding and event industry.
As individuals and business owners we have the power to drastically increase the level of inclusion here in our state, and help make human equity possible.
Based on a conversation with hundreds of florists from across the country—that took place for over 9 hours on Clubhouse last week—it’s clear that leading industry professionals are called to take a stand and align their personal beliefs with their business values.
Now is the time to take action towards antiracism in the wedding and event industry.
Ibram X. Kendi writes in, How To Be An Antiracist,
"The opposite of "racist" isn't "not racist". It is "antiracist."
"What's the problem with being "not racist"? It is a claim that signifies neutrality: "I am not a racist, but neither am I aggressively against racism." But there is no neutrality in the racism struggle.
"Racist" and "antiracist" are like peelable name tags that are placed and replaced based on what someone is doing or not doing, supporting or expressing in each moment. These are not permanent tattoos. No one becomes a racist or antiracist. We can only strive to be on or the other."
This is work that ALL people who care about social justice—especially white allies—need to continue to do every single day.
If wedding and event vendors want to move beyond the black square, we must move together into a brave space to create anti-racist policies.
Anti-racism: the practice of identifying, challenging, and changing the values, structures and behaviors that perpetuate systemic racism.
Brave Space: a non-physical space within a school or organization designed to help create an environment that allows individuals to engage with one another over controversial issues like race, diversity, and social justice with honesty, sensitivity, and respect. The intention is to help reassure those who feel anxious about sharing their thoughts and feelings regarding these sensitive and controversial issues.
Racism: A social construct that artificially divides people into distinct groups based on certain characteristics such as physical appearance (particularly skin color) ancestral heritage, cultural affiliation, cultural history, ethnic classification.
Kendi, one of America’s foremost historians and leading antiracist scholars and Founding Director of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research lays out some reasons why we want to continue to self-educate as allies and advocates:
”We can unknowingly strive to be a racist. We can knowingly strive to be an antiracist. Like fighting an addiction, being an antiracist requires persistent self-awareness, constant self-criticism, and regular self-examination.
We are surrounded by racial inequity, as visible as the law, as hidden as our private thoughts. The question for each of us is: What side of history will we stand on?
...the only way to undo racism is to consistently identify and describe it--and then dismantle it.
…To be antiracist is a radical choice in the face of this history, requiring a radical reorientation of our consciousness."
We do not feel radical, however, we do ask our members to look inward, self-educate and strive towards antiracism in your business and your life.
This is the work of our lifetimes.
Thanks for joining us.
With gratitude,
Alison
What steps can WE take?
Some steps we can take to eliminate racial inequity in our spaces according to Kendi:
Admit racial inequity is a product of bad policy, not bad people.
Identify racial inequity in all its intersections and manifestations.
Investigate and uncover racist policies causing racial inequity.
Invent or find antiracist policy that can eliminate racial inequity.
Figure out who or what group has the power to institute antiracist policy.
Disseminate and educate about the uncovered racist policy antiracist policy correctives.
Work with sympathetic antiracist policymakers to institute antiracist policy.
Deploy antiracist power to compel or drive from power the unsympathetic racist policymakers in order to institute the antiracist policy.
Monitor closely to ensure the antiracist policy reduces and eliminates racial inequity.
When policies fail, do not blame the people. Start over and seek out new and more effective antiracist treatments until they work.
Monitor closely to prevent new racist policies from being instituted.
More on Racist Ideas from How To Be An Antiracist:
"Racism is a powerful collection of racist policies that lead to racial inequity and are substantiated by racist ideas. Antiracism is a powerful collection of antiracist policies that lead to racial equity and are substantiated by antiracist ideas.
...So what is a racist idea? A racist idea is any idea that suggests one racial group is inferior or superior to another racial group in any way. racist ideas argue that the inferiorities and superiorities of racial groups explain racial inequities in society.
An antiracist idea is any idea that suggests the racial groups are equals in all their apparent differences--that there is nothing right or wrong with any racial group. Antiracist ideas argue that racist policies are the cause of racial inequities.
...Americans have long been trained to see the deficiencies of people rather than policy. It's a pretty easy mistake to make: people are in our faces. Policies are distant. We are particularly poor at seeing the policies lurking behind the struggles of people."
Learn more about the author, Ibram X. Kendi, Here: https://www.ibramxkendi.com
Reach out with questions or comments for us here: connect@wevavt.org