I found the SoN’ Term of Reference issue on whiteness, Peekaboo: We See You: Whiteness (2018) particularly engaging and ended up reading it back-to-back. I was provoked by the ‘Key Questions ‘(2018, p.10) presented at the start and thought I could try to answer them in this post.

When were you first aware/made aware of whiteness and how does whiteness affect you on a daily basis (if at all)?

I think I first became aware of whiteness maybe 15 years ago, when I first moved to London. It affects me in every breathing moment, for I benefit from white privilege.

What actions do you take to practice anti-racism?

I practice anti-racism by reminding myself as often as possible that I am the product of centuries of white supremacist society and have been conditioned by this society to embody systemic racism. This awareness of ‘not my thoughts, but society’s thoughts’ helps me apply compassion to my white guilt, so it doesn’t hinder my engagement with the discomfort of this realisation. I read a lot about racism and try to actively incorporate the subject into my practice.

Are there any aspects of colonisation that are still prevalent in 2022?

Sadly, yes, everywhere. Being Brazilian, it is hard not to see aspects of colonisation in my culture – in the pervasive corruption, in the exploitation and destruction of the environment and indigenous peoples, in the social inequalities, in the diversity of the population, in our inferior complex, in our relationship with religion and food and music, in our national identity, so on. Once I moved to the UK, I noticed aspects of colonisation taking different forms but no less obvious, for instance in the media’s approach to reporting the Global South, in the survival of monarchy, in museums and their collections, in the fashion industry (production and consumption), in the fashion history canon, in immigration and Brexit, in the geography of the city.

How do you manage the trauma of seeing evidence of hate practices and crimes (environment/personal lives/educational setting/media)?

Being a highly empathetic person, I sometimes need professional help managing this trauma. It can be debilitating. I’m also naturally positive, so I try focus on what it’s being currently done in terms of social justice and how I can partake. I remind myself that my teaching is a form of activism. It gives me purpose.

Have you recognised or identified ingrained beliefs that stem from whiteness in yourself (environment and/or personal lives or educational setting) and what does it mean to you?

Yes, of course, I’m white and have been conditioned by society to embody whiteness. It sucks, it means I’m complicit and de-conditioning will be a life-long process that requires a lot of effort.

Where in the creative curriculum have you or would you consider topics surrounding whiteness or construction of race?

In my subject area of Fashion Histories. The fashion system we now today is only possible because of colonialism and therefore whiteness and race are intrinsically linked to it. The fact that the overwhelming majority of my students are white is case in point.

Have you either experienced or witnessed the effect of microaggressions and how did you manage it?

Of course I must have witnessed, but is it telling that I cannot remember? Once a student questioned my position as lecturer because I occasionally make grammatical mistakes when speaking (English is not my first language). Is that microaggression? My response was to apologise and ask if they preferred me to teach in Portuguese instead…

What activities already exist that transcend racial inequality?

I don’t know.

 Where does whiteness sit within a post-racial world?

In a graveyard… In a post-racial world white identities should be one in a spectrum.

How does creative expression combat racial inequality?

It requires a lot of creativity to combat racial inequality, we have to envision a completely different world. Humans are creative beings, it’s innate to our essence. Creative expression can challenge the status quo, can instigate dialogue, can provoke action.