A comparative look from the Black experience in the past (Douglass’s visit) to the present
Sandrine Ndahiro
This piece is part of a special blog series for #DouglassWeek commissioned by the Unsilencing Black Voices team, Sandrine Ndahiro and Catherine Osikoya.
“I breathe, and lo! The chattel becomes a man. I gaze around in vain for one who will question my equal humanity, claim me as his slave, or offer me an insult. I employ a cab—I am seated beside white people—I reach the hotel—I enter the same door—I am shown into the same parlour—I dine at the same table—and no one is offended ... I find myself regarded and treated at every turn with the kindness and deference paid to white people.”
– Frederick Douglass, My Bondage and My Freedom, Chapter XXIV
Frederick Douglass's arrival in Ireland surprised him as it was the first time the free slave felt like his colour was not a determinate factor of how he was going to be treated. In his interaction with the Irish population, he found that they treated him with dignity and respect as an equal human being. With his positive experience which proved to be life-changing, I am left to reflect on the treatment of the Black by white Irish people in contemporary Ireland. I find it astonishing that during his time Douglass never felt othered. Instead, he felt like he was fully embraced. Modern-day Ireland does not offer this same embrace and acceptance that Douglass once experienced. There is a strong sense of otherization that is projected onto members of the Irish society who are not seen as embodying true Irishness. This proves to be problematic, as the changing tide in multiculturalism and diversity is a clear indicator of how there is no longer one definition assigned to the meaning of Irishness.
Initially, when I read the extract from Douglass’s My Bondage and My Freedom in which he describes his reception in Ireland, I was reminded of the writings of the philosopher Frantz Fanon who talked about the trials and tribulations of having a black body in a predominantly white space in his critically acclaimed book Black Skin White Mask. Throughout the book, Fanon maps out how within a predominantly white society the Black body develops habits to protect itself from the perception of being threat to the white race. In white society, a black individual goes through the process of body schema that acts as a third-person consciousness. In this consciousness, the black individual is aware that his/her movements are being monitored, scrutinized. In one incident Fanon talks about how he “wanted to be a man, nothing but a man” (85). Here Fanon talks about the dire need to be a human being as opposed to being reduced to just his skin colour. This resonated with me as I too have found that living in Ireland, a predominantly white society, that I too have been consciously aware of the racial body schema. I am constantly aware of my every movement as most of the time I am the only Black person in any given space. When I enter a space, I am always aware of the numerous stereotypes that are always projected onto people of African descent. So, within any given space, I make sure not to feed into this stereotype. Being constantly aware of my mannerism and bodily habits proves to be exhausting and distracting.
The fact that Douglass did not experience any discrimination based on his skin colour almost makes me envy the old Irish way of life. It is almost inconceivable how the Irish could be so welcoming and non-judgmental, and I still cannot pinpoint why being Black in that period was accepted. Yet now in the twenty-first century with the advancement of technology, medicine and social media, racism is a factor that seems to be becoming more and more prominent. I am left wondering if Douglas was not discriminated against because he was just one Black individual and there was no initial threat of the ‘other’ or was it just merely that the past society was much more welcoming and accepting.
Moreover, Douglas in this passage goes on to talk about the immense pride he felt when he was treated as an equal to his white counterparts. Although modern-day Ireland although is changing, slow progress is being made when it comes to bridging the gap between those that are deemed inferior versus superior. The present-day Black experience is one of still feeling like I hold second-class citizenship, although Irish citizenship is supposed to be about equality for all citizens.
In 2021 there is still a lack of diversity in various sectors: whether it be media, teaching in all levels, business (the list is endless). Contemporary Ireland does not reflect a place that showcases a change in attitude or where members within the Black community can see themselves represented and being part of the Irish community. When I look around me, I still do not see people who look like me in positions of power or positions of change. Instead, when I look around me, I see a growing tension of racial divide especially in the face of the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter within an Irish setting. There is a need to embrace the changing dialogue when it comes to racism in Ireland to pave the way for every member within Irish society to feel that their voice, humanity, and dignity matter.
Lastly, it is integral to reflect on Frederick Douglass's experience to have a better understanding of how the Black experience is forever changing. This calls for the need for action in several sectors. The primary one has to do with the need to accept that the terminology surrounding the Irish identity is multifaced. The second is the need to have more representation in places of power. You cannot be what you do not see. Contemporary Ireland is at the forefront of change with multiculturalism and diversity and institutions need to mirror everyday life. Black individuals occupying a white space have the right to be viewed as human beings and equal to their white counterparts. A refusal to acknowledge and accept the changing atmosphere will not see us move forward to a place where (as Douglass experienced) your skin colour no longer determines your treatment. Ireland is my home, and my skin colour should not act as a barrier to me being viewed as Irish.
Works Cited
Fanon, Frantz. Black Skin White Mask. London: Pluto,1986.
