In last week’s Fakequity post I dropped the phrase ‘information is currency,’ this week I’ll elaborate on what that means.

Information and access to information is how we navigate the world. Those of us with more information about a particular topic can navigate that part of life more easily. Information grants us privileges and access to more information. This becomes a currency and a way to negotiate for more access or other privileges.

Historically information has been used against people of color. Black people weren’t allowed to learn how to read, less information makes it easier to control others. POCs have been relegated to second class educational settings – less access to information, less competition and more privilege for others. Less competition allows white kids to go to college and more money stays in white communities.

POC communities fight this by protecting our information and being respectfully wary of outsiders trying to gain our information for their benefit.  

POC Information

I’ve worked deeply with POC communities for many years. Through that time I made a point of trying to stay connected to a lot of different people so I could keep tabs on what was happening in different parts of the community. Having this information was important for the organization’s advocacy work and legitimacy. Our work was only as good as the information we received in so we could make informed decisions and when held accountable back to the community we could explain why we decided to take certain actions.

I also knew when I was invited to policy tables or other spaces it was because I had knowledge others wanted. They wanted to know what communities of color were thinking or needed, they wanted to say communities of color were represented by my organization’s presence. The currency to get to that table was information, the tax I paid was being the voice for many and having to hold that trust.

Relationships vs Information

A white friend once told me he knew when he brought his Black colleague along to a mostly white meeting it was an asset to him – everyone wanted to hear from the Black community but didn’t know how to access the Black community (different story for another day). He went on to say, he also knew when his Black friend took him, a white guy, into the Black community he was a liability. Communities of color have learned over time to protect and guard their information so it isn’t exploited.

For white and privileged people it is important to respect the ownership of information. There is a fine line between sharing POC information to want to help and using it to exploit POCs. I’ve watched white people enter POC spaces and sit there and listen without participating, absorbing the information. The presence of a white body in a POC space without actively working to build relationships is a way to gain information without supporting Black and Brown people. Don’t do this, if you want to be in spaces with POCs then build relationships don’t just take or sulk in the corner and take their information for your benefit. That is a sure way never to be invited back or to have them talk about you in the meeting after the meeting.

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