Whoopi Goldberg , 15/06/2022
59 x 45 cm (h x w)
acrylic on paper

Whoopi Goldberg plays one of my favourite characters in the Star Trek franchise. As Guinan, she plays a wise and trusted advisor that knows how to communicate the complicated and has a sort of sixth sense about things that are somewhat hard to understand.
I was astonished at the controversy that was enkindled by her remarks regarding the question of race in the Holocaust. As a German, I believe that matters regarding our Nazi past always call for particular attention. Whoopi Goldberg has most certainly had to endure her share of racism. The discussion on what can be said and what not is important, and requires wise discernment.
I agree with those that say racism is all too real and we cannot cease to fight against it. Racialization on the other hand is a construct that arises only based on what a dominant part of society defines as the norm. Just because the Nazis defined the Jewish population as race, does not mean that de facto such a thing as race describes the victims of the Holocaust. I believe that attributing a racial status to a group of humans is in itself racist. The monstrous plan and execution of the annihilation of a group of people for any reason can only be condemned and needs to be stopped. If the definition of race is used by the racist as a narrative to distinguish and discriminate, I believe it is important to point out, that racialization is a fictitious narrative and has no basis whatsoever in science or reality. Instead, racism is very much a reality in 2022 and the uncomfortable truth is that it won't go away without a massive and constant effort.

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