Who should get paid for antiracism work?

You will never hear me call someone an ally but I appreciate the steps that people take to stand in solidarity with historically oppressed and disenfranchised communities. What I think is strange and what causes me to pause is when I see people, especially white people, going from being unaware, to aware and then to activists leading movements.

When I say lead in this context I mean leading on a large scale. Of course, you may need to lead the work in your family, you may have to lead in the workplace depending on the scenario. My beef is in regard to large-scale movements in spaces and communities where the people impacted by the oppression are available and willing to lead. In places where Black people are doing antiracism workshops and training but are making less and being booked less than white people doing antiracism workshops and training.

You should not and I would go as far as to say that you cannot lead movements (not well at least) in which your community, the identities that you hold, are the identities of the oppressor.

White people should not be leading or getting paid for any kind of antiracism work. Men should not lead or be getting paid for any kind of feminist work. People who identify as heterosexual should not lead or be getting paid for any kind of work liberating LGBTQIA+ communities.

I could die on this hill and talk for days about it leading up to death. It is the work of the oppressor to become aware of the oppression you're inflicting on certain communities, then spend 15 minutes learning about it, and then start getting paid to teach other people in your community about it. That's oppressor behavior 101.

It's your responsibility as the person of privilege in the scenario to amplify voices and to redirect paid opportunities to members of the oppressed and historically marginalized community.

“Well, sometimes it’s easier for white people to listen to other white people.” That’s a rebuttal that I’ve heard many times and I think it’s disgusting and racist but I understand it. That may be the case but the white person they listen to should not be getting paid for talking to them or for sharing resources with them.

Black people around the country are doing antiracism work and struggling to pay the bills because they can’t book enough gigs. While some white people doing this work are able to charge 20K per event and pour only minuscule amounts of the money they make back into programs serving the Black community.

We have to be more critical of ourselves and the work that we do to support and liberate others. Why are we getting paid for work that we’re doing to support marginalized communities? Who is paying us? How much of a tangible impact is my work and the fruit of my work, making on this community? Are resources going directly into communities because of my work? Is it comparable to the amount going directly to me?

We have to be more critical. We have to be more honest with ourselves. We have to be willing to lose so that others can gain. Are we doing the work of the oppressor and marketing it as antiracism work? God forbid. I have so many thoughts on this but this is all for now.

Until soon,

-N