Had I still been Catalina, the Admissions Director today, my conversation with parents coming wanting to enrol their children in an IB school would be quite different.
Author: Cǎtǎ Gǎrdescu
I am a connector, a lover of all things beautiful and a fighter when things get hard. I try each day to live truthfully, learn as much as I possibly can and push myself in the right directions. I am learning to trust my gut and my instincts and embrace uncertainty.
Why Is A Roma Thief Considered More Of A Thief Than A Romanian One?
If we plan to wait until racism no longer manifests in us, we will never do anything to change. Systemic racism starts very early, enters us through all our pores and never leaves. Episode 7 of my Diary of a Romanian Racist in Transition explores the insiduousness of racism, the forms it takes in our daily encounters and small steps that can help us grow against the current.
Romanian version here: https://catalinagardescu.substack.com/p/jrrit-episodul-7-de-ce-hotul-rom?r=1w77eg
Don’t Ask A Roma person What Hurts Them. Research It Yourself.
Episode 6 of my Diary of a Romanian Racist in Transition is an invitation. It invites everyone to mind their own racism. It is never the duty of the oppressed to explain to us how they feel and why what we are doing is hard to take. It is our job to transcend our fragility and learn.
Romanian version here: https://catalinagardescu.substack.com/p/jrrit-episodul-6-nu-intreba-un-rom?r=1w77eg
Racism Is Not Reflected In The Mirror. It Is Felt In The Gut.
Episode 5 from my Diary of a Romanian Racist in Transition is the story of what could have been a beautiful friendship. Except for systemic racism that drew a wedge I could never overcome. Is there any hope for me?
Romanian version here: https://catalinagardescu.substack.com/p/jrrit-episodul-5-rasismul-nu-se-vede?r=1w77eg
“Oh, come on, you’re really exaggerating with this whole ‘white supremacy’ idea! So now you’ve found the world’s big problem!” Well… actually, yes.
There is no meaningful way that we can move into the future, if we forget or disregard the past. History is here for us not only as a story that explains how far we’ve come but as a tool to educate us towards better futures. Drawing from the work of Dr. @Lilian Nwanze Akobo, episode 4 of my Diary of a Romanian Racist in Transition aims to shed some light on why race does not actually exist. Yeah, really!
Romanian version here: https://catalinagardescu.substack.com/p/jrrit-episodul-4-haide-domne-chiar?r=1w77eg
Why Can Roma People Call Themselves “țigani”, but We, Romanians, Should Call Them Rom/Romni?
In Episode 3 of my Diary of a Racist in Transition, I look at words. And the charge they receive, depending on the person who uses them. Language is an exceptional thing: it can be a tool for repair and it can be a weapon of oppression. Our choice
Romanian version here: https://open.substack.com/pub/catalinagardescu/p/jrrit-episodul-3-de-ce-romii-isi?r=1w77eg&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
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