EDITORIAL: Islanders not immune to, excused from race issues

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Ninety-four percent white. It’s a statistic about Vashon that is known well by many islanders and, when combined with the notion that Vashon is an extremely inclusive community, leads many to believe that racism does not and cannot exist here.

Vashon is an isolated bubble in the middle of the sound, which makes it easy for islanders to separate themselves from the turmoil happening elsewhere. But it is at times like this that islanders need to work even harder to make sure they do not become apathetic, stuck in the state of mind believing that everything is OK. As tensions flare around the country, a group of islanders here is working to bring Vashon into the conversation and change the way we discuss race relations.

Janie Starr, an island author and activist, said she is working to open up the dialogue and teach practical skills to deal with racism and white privilege. After the kickoff of All-Island Reads — an effort to encourage islanders to read books about race and white privilege accompanied by discussions — she said many islanders told her they wanted to learn practical skills to address racism.

“Many islanders say there is no racism or there are no people of color to practice with or ask questions to, but you can be an ally without black people in the room,” she said. “If your white boyfriend is making a racist joke, you can stop that even if there is no one of color around.”

She also said that with so many islanders working off-island in the far more diverse city, there are no excuses for islanders to exclude themselves from the issues or assume that the issues don’t apply to them.

“It’s all about being a bystander instead of an ally,” Starr said. “We need to teach people how to be allies.”

Islanders pride themselves on being activists and facilitating change. From the Glacier site, to the ongoing preservation of natural areas, to fundraising efforts that support everything from children, to animals, to education, islanders are never ones to turn their backs on a worthy cause. The current issues facing our country are no different. The first step in fixing this problem is acknowledging that a problem exists, even here on our island.