SO FI ZINE

Introduction
Racism is inherent in every society, permeating all facets of life, both implicitly and explicitly (Smedley & Smedley, 2005). Those who perpetuate racism, and those who are victim to it, are often profoundly impacted by the experience. Racism at its core creates a social and emotional disconnect, fracturing people and communities, yet it remains unspoken in conversations, buried with in niceties and good intentions (Ed do-lodge, 2017). As a consequence, little is intentionally done to stop the insidious tide that is racial discrimination.

Inspired by Alana Lentin’s (2020) graphic essay ‘Not Racism’, in this graphic representation, I articulate an incident of racial vilification, which occurred on the sports field. The objective in both crafting this visual is multi-fold. Sharing and deconstructing my experience has offered a therapeutic platform to process the magnitude of this public attack on my person. Furthermore, the visual considers the resultant impact of the racially charged incident, both personally and within broader sporting circles. The graphic also sets out tangible strategies to address the growing structural racism within our societies, in the hope that this destructive form of division is stemmed.

I acknowledge that conversations about race are uncomfortable, however we sometimes have no choice but to confront the challenge, in order to create a more equitable and just society. Racism creates power imbalances, and those who perpetuate it rarely listen, because their voices in defence drown out any other point of view. With the growing voices of first nations people, black lives matter movements around the globe, the aim is to educate and create awareness regarding race, and these expressions of being manifestly fed up with racial injustice and colonisation. From big matters like police murders of black people, to seemingly small matters like verbal attacks on a football field. This graphic does not prioritise white feelings, hence the discomfort, instead it hones in on the pain of being a person of colour.

Acknowledgements
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Dr Pearl Subban and Professor Steven Roberts for their invaluable guidance, unwavering support, and mentorship throughout the process of creating this reflective comic on racism. Their knowledge, expertise and encouragement have been instrumental in helping me put words to paper and construct a meaningful piece. Thank you!

I would also like to express my gratitude for the inspiration Alana Lentin’s graphic essay has given me. Alana’s work sparked a creative impulse within me to explore a new form of expression through reflective comic art. The graphic essay has been truly inspiring, and I am grateful for the new perspective it has given me. Thank you for sharing your work and for inspiring me to explore new forms of creative expression !

References and Notes
Edda-Lodge, R. (2017). Why I’m no longer talking to white people about race. London, UK : Bloomsbury Circus.
Lentin, A. (2020). Why race still matters. John Wiley & Sons.
Lentin, A. (2022) ‘Not Racism’ A Graphic Essay www.alanalentin.net/2022/02/24/not-racism-agraphic-essay/
Liebow, N., & Glazer, T. (2019). White tears: emotion regulation and white fragility. Inquiry. https://doi.org/10.1080/0020174X.2019.1610048
Smedley, A., & Smedley, B. D. (2005). Race as Biology Is Fiction, Racism as a Social Problem Is Real: Anthropological and Historical Perspectives on Social Construction of Race. The American Psychologist 60(1), 16-26. https://doi.org/10.1037 /0003-066X.60. 1. 1 6

*The concept ‘White tears’ refers to white people feeling threatened when they are called out against racism and refuse to engage with realities of race (Liebow & Glazer, 2019).
** ‘Not racism’ is conceptualised by Alana Lentin (2020) to capture the ways that people who share or protest against their encounters of are told ‘that is not what racism is’, typically stated by white others.