100 Voices #AllAgainstRacism: Chris Kabs – "The best way for all of us to come to an understanding is by having an open dialogue"

Chris Kabs,
producer & musician

I haven’t really seen any crazy discrimination toward me, per se, in Ireland. Obviously we have to admit that we’re different. We all have diverse backgrounds, we came from different places. Some of my friends escaped from war. They experienced trauma. We all have different reasons to be here, but luckily enough we have one thing in common, which is music.

For me personally, when I notice there’s an Irish person or a Caucasian person that seems to be uncomfortable around me, I always find a way to integrate myself. Because at the end of the day, we came to your country, whereby: I can’t bring my ‘hood or my world to your world. I need to find a way in your world, so that you don’t see me as a threat, and that I don’t feel like I’m a threat.

Also, I’m not afraid to speak on it. If I notice anything that makes me feel excluded from any situation, I always speak on it, so they know how I feel. My goal is to find a way to come together. The only way we can come together is when we attack the problem by having an open dialogue about it, so we both can understand where we’re coming from.

We should acknowledge that racism is there. But we sometimes confuse racism with lack of education. If you’re not educated about African or immigrant communities, how will you be able to deal with someone like me? And if I’m not educated about the Irish mindset or Irish communities, how can I deal with you? So that’s just me having a lack of understanding or a lack of education.

Sometimes it could be pure innocent behavior. If I get myself into conflict with a Caucasian person, it’s too easy to say, “Oh, they don’t like me. Oh, they’re racist.” Why? Because I came from an area where white people did us wrong years ago. So I had to learn that not all white people are bad. Some are bad. Some Black people are bad as well. The best way for all of us to come to an understanding is by having an open dialogue.

Read Part 1 of 100 Voices: #AllAgainstRacism, in the current issue of Hot Press. Available to pick up in shops now, or to order online below:

Special thanks to the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission for their support in this project.