568 – [Daniel Glass Show]: Black Sounds Matter, Pt. 1

In this session, Daniel shares how his assumptions about race have been shaken by the recent #blacklivesmatter protests, and reflects on how we as musicians can do better in confronting racism and inequality.

What’s covered in this session:

• Daniel shares how the recent protests over the horrific murder of George Floyd (an unarmed black man) by police in Minneapolis have brought out the best – and the worst – within the drumming community.
• A reminder that while it’s easy to denounce the obvious racists among us, it’s much more difficult to look inward and see how each of us may be contributing to the problem in more subtle ways.
• Daniel attempts to understand (and hopefully disarm) hot-button terms like “White Privilege” and “White Supremacy” so that we can better understand how whites vs non-whites benefit differently within American society.
• Daniel uses the analogy of left-handed drummers to show how the mainstream can show a lack of empathy to the struggles of a minority group because they don’t feel the same prejudices.
• Daniel offers several suggestions for those who want to be part of the solution, but aren’t sure where to start:
  1. Start by something as basic as Googling “How can I understand and confront my white privilege?”
  2. Commentator Rachel Cargle suggests the following 3-part formula: Knowledge + Empathy + Action
     • Knowledge: Educate yourself as to how you may be contributing to racial inequality.
     • Empathy: Try to at least understand the position of the Black Lives Matter movement even if you feel compelled to discount it as being something that doesn’t concern you.
     • Action: Actively combat racism when you see it in your community, workplace, campus or home. Use your privilege as an insider to influence other white people. We have to hold each other accountable.
  3. A huge part of the Black Lives Matter movement is centered on education: it calls for people of all races, ages and genders to educate themselves on Black history and how racism manifests itself in society. Just a small amount of research can help you begin to see the world in a different way and to make yourself part of the change. Check out the recommended reading list below.
• Lastly, always remember to love black people as much as you love black culture.

Resources/Links/People Mentioned:

• My podcast For Right-Handed Drummers Only (Drummers Resource, ep. 344).
• Rachel Cargle’s highly informative Ted Talk: “Coming to Terms With Racism’s Inertia: Ancestral Accountability” is a good introduction to the topic of racism as a societal problem, and how we can ALL be part of the solution.
• Here’s an excellent article offering seven ways that white people can confront their privilege, be more empathic to the situation of African-Americans, and affect a greater change in the world.
• Here’s a list of 15 powerful books on the topic, most of them written by women. Scan through the list, pick one that connects with your own list of questions, and start reading!