Making the Pagan Rainbow

Pagans rarely worry about race or racism. We don't tend to connect these issues with our spirituality except in instances where someone mistakenly labels us racists, in which case we inform them that Pagans advocate tolerance. Yet the problems of racism are largely endemic to the modern "mainstream" culture; as far as we've come, we still have a loooong way to go. The creates an environment that tends to divide people along racial (and other) lines even if the individuals involved are not, themselves, racist in any way. You have to paddle pretty hard to make any headway against a current that strong. In the Pagan community we have generally been concerned with other things, and the result is that contemporary Paganism has a middle-class majority of Caucasian body type. A similar thing happened with feminism, incidentally. The "mainstream" prejudices you aren't actively campaigning against tend to show up even if you don't encourage them; to get rid of them, you have to discourage them quite actively. So racism is not an issue we can ignore.

A note on word use -- some people insist that all light-skinned people are racist by definition, on the grounds that you can't give up the "skin privilege" you're born with. I simply despise that usage. First, I find it just as rudely stereotypical as any other racial marker. Second, I find it worse than useless in the linguistic arena because then we have no specific term for the kind of moral mongrels who go around burning crosses and tying nooses. Third, I find it counterproductive because it makes people feel helpless to do anything about the problem -- if you will always be a racist, why put forth all the effort required to work towards tolerance? Besides, in my experience the underlying premise is just plain wrong. It is not only possible but easy to abandon skin-privilege; all you have to do is support the rights of dark-skinned people. Vile terms like "nigger-lover" do not arise from a social vacuum. So when I say "racist" I mean a person who 1) believes that members of some race(s) are inherently, categorically, and significantly inferior to members of some other race(s) and/or 2) actively works to further the interests of some race(s) above some other race(s).

So what is the situation in the contemporary Pagan community? Above average, actually. We do have a light-skinned majority but I have seen Pagans of all races including many of mixed heritage, and I have noticed a general willingness among Pagans to mingle contentedly with people of diverse races. The problem is finding people of color to mingle with. Fortunately, there are many things that we can do as Pagans to increase the racial diversity of our community. Here are some ideas for you to explore:

Advertise your Pagan events where people of color gather. Hosting a harvest festival or an open ritual for Midwinter or a lecture on mythology? Post some flyers in your local Mexican grocery store, near African-American churches, ethnic clothing boutique, or in the civic center if it has multicultural activities. Look around your area to find the ethnic enclaves. Many of these also have their own newspapers or magazines in which you can advertise. And don't just go to hang flyers; shop around some and pause to chat with people.
Offer to come make presentations in ethnic communities. Got some good public speakers in your group? Call around to schools, churches, clubs, and other organizations with strong minority representation. Volunteer to come speak about Pagan beliefs and history, or the common ground in holidays, or legends from around the world, or multicultural children's games, or whatever. Freedom of religion blends splendidly with racial tolerance as a lecture topic, too. When you go, you'll have plenty of networking opportunities.
Present material diverse enough to interest people from diverse backgrounds. This means that if you assemble a lecture on "The Hero Archetype" you should include heroes from around the world, not just from Europe and/or North America. When you hold a potluck, encourage people to cook recipes originating in different cultures. If your group practices a regional tradition, such as Druidry, consider networking with several other regional traditions to host a large interfaith gathering once a year.
Treat people of whatever racial heritage with respect. This should go without saying but really doesn't yet. Especially try to be patient with people who are a little oversensitive about race ... some folks have just been picked on too much to be entirely rational on the issue, just as some Pagans are a wee bit touchy about religion.
Attend events or go shopping where you will be in the racial minority. I love spelunking in other people's reality tunnels, so this is a favorite pastime for me anyway. It's also a terrific networking opportunity. The more friends you make with people of different races, the easier it is to build a racially diverse spiritual group. Likewise, this gives you a chance to see people as they really are. Members of minorities often shift behavior in the "mainstream" world, just as Pagans often put cover up religious symbols when the Jewish (or whatever) relatives visit.
Recognize and appreciate that people of various races often have very different experiences which give them equally different perspectives. Put another way, if you present a problem to a group of Afro-Americans and a group of Latinas and a group of French-Canadians then you will probably get three different perspectives and three recommended solutions (which may or may not overlap). This means the more kinds of people you have in a single organization, the better the chance that at least one of them will have the right perspective to see a solution to whatever problems you face. It also means that you'll have to put some extra effort into managing the group dynamics because the various styles of interaction don't always mesh smoothly. The benefits are well worth that effort.
Look for spiritual seekers in racially diverse locations. College campuses, large cities, military bases, intentional communities, multicultural encounter groups -- pursue whatever you find in your region. People from a mixed environment will already have some skill at handling that. Also, many of these places, especially colleges, will be full of young folks who want to find a faith that really works for them. Present an appealing lecture on various Pagan traditions and you might have what they're looking for.
When you do find people of color at Pagan gatherings, stop and chat with them. Network, network, network! Find out what they like and don't like about the event. Ask if they plan to come back. If they enjoy themselves, they are likely to bring their friends later. If there is something they really don't like about the event, see if you can fix it. Sometimes a subtle change can work wonders.
As you add people of color to your coven or other group, LISTEN to their ideas and incorporate them into the decision-making structure as soon as practical. They will not take kindly to being used as tokens; genuine tolerance means you will have to blend the group for real, and this can be a touchy thing given the diversity of stylistic preferences. Try to find folks of whatever skin tone who get along well together and have some things in common. Leadership is less of an issue in egalitarian groups or in groups that pass power frequently from one person to another. There it's easier to make sure everyone gets representation. If you have a hierarchical group you will face a greater challenge here. Still, it can work if you remain open to input. Either way you will discover that diverse groups come up with some incredibly delightful and effective ideas.
If you hear someone making a racist remark, make it plain that you consider that unacceptable; and if you hear of racist legislation or policies, oppose those also. What people of color will really appreciate is your support. If they hear you standing up for tolerance, they are more likely to feel comfortable working and praying with you. It is important to "walk your talk" by letting your actions demonstrate your beliefs, even -- especially! -- when it is inconvenient or dangerous for you to do so. (You will, after all, tend to lose a lot of that skin-privilege and get lumped in with the dark-skinned folks you support.) But there is also a deep satisfaction in upholding the value of diversity in the face of bigots and idiots.

What you do is up to you. Remember that Paganism offers numerous paths so that each of us can find one that meets our own particular spiritual needs. Racial diversity offers many of the same challenges and benefits as religious diversity. Act to make the world a better place for the next seven generations, and you'll be moving in the right direction. After all, the Divine Ones made us in a rainbow of Earth tones, so They clearly love diversity. Let us honor Them by doing likewise.

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Making the Pagan Rainbow

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