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Well. For the first time in my life, I confronted a stranger making racist comments in public. This is going to be rambly and unfocused, so bear with me.
I was getting my hair cut, and two seats down was a woman in her 60s getting her hair cut by another woman of the same age.
I was getting my hair cut, and two seats down was a woman in her 60s getting her hair cut by another woman of the same age.
I started to hear comments from both of them about “immigrants” and my ears perked up. Long story short, it was your garden variety “They come here and bring their violence” racist trope we’ve all heard before. I started to give the hairdresser some serious side-eye.
I finished up and realized that I didn’t have cash, so drove to a nearby ATM and headed back. On the way, I decided I was going to say something. To be clear, I didn’t exactly want to. I’m EXTREMELY conflict-averse.
Anyways, I get back, pay my hairdresser and then go over to the hairdresser and told her that what they were saying was racist and unacceptable and leads to prejudice and violence against racialized folks.
Evidently they’d been talking about the young black boy beaten up recently in Edmonton, and she challenged me about whether what happened to him was okay (supposedly the kids that beat him up were all non-white). I wasn’t about to whip out my phone to fact check her, so whatever.
I reiterated that immigrants are far more likely to be victims of violence than engage in violence themselves. At this point, she grabbed my arm, wished me a good day and frog-marched me out of the salon.
I have absolutely no idea if I handled it right. I was riding high on nothing on adrenaline. I probably had 60 pounds and 12” on this woman, and for all I know she was afraid I might hurt her. I’m sure I could have phrased things better.
It was incredibly awkward. I might be banned from the salon now, who knows. It doesn’t feel like a clear “I made the world a better place, go me!” situation.
It’s been a half hour and I’m still shaking. And I’m a tall white guy with nothing to fear physically. Imagine trying to do this as a racialized woman.
On social media, it feels easy to say “Just do the right thing”. Reality is messier. Hell, the woman cutting my hair is Chinese-Canadian! But of course they didn’t mean her. She’s one of the “good ones”. 
At the end of the day, it’s up to us white people to say something. We’re seen as “safe”, and we shouldn’t be.
Anyway, at the very least, I get to go to bed tonight knowing I tried. Hopefully next time I’ll be better at it. Congrats y’all. You’ve helped me get to 5% antiracist. Let’s keep it going.
