Protests are still ongoing although on a smaller scale now. The revolution continues to be televised. We are beginning to see global changes brought about because of the increasing public attention and pressure. In the US, George Floyd’s murderers have been charged, Ahmaud Arbery’s murderers have been charged and Manuel Ellis’ death is the subject of a new investigation. US police departments are banning the use of chokeholds. UK police are (once again!) being forced to review the extent to which institutional racism and bias affects policing practices particular in respect to communities of colour. Things are happening. But it’s not enough. Just a few weeks ago, here in Denmark, a black man was tortured and murdered by two white men who have racist affiliations. The grotesque incident even involved them kneeling on the victim’s neck but that was not the worst of their horrific actions. Yet the Danish authorities refuse to label this a hate crime.
So what now? You may not be able to attend every single protest, you may not be a legislator or public figure but you can still do something. Here is a summary of six action items that I believe everyone can undertake right now and going forward:
ONE | DONATE – There are organisations that have BEEN doing the work. Before “anti-racist” was the buzzword of the moment, there were campaigners and frontline soldiers for the cause of the eradication of systemic racism. A large amount of these organisations are charitable organisations and therefore rely on public donations. Whilst it’s been amazing how many people donated straight after the Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd cases, let’s not lose energy in doing that in a few months or next year. Equality in our society is a necessity so treat this as urgently as your other charitable donations. And if you’re not already donating to charities, this is a fantastic cause to start supporting with your actions i.e. YOUR MONEY. Some organisations that I have started supporting include Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust (ACLT) and the Africa Centre (all UK based organisations).
TWO | EDUCATE YOURSELF – Open your heart and mind to learning about different people’s experiences and appreciating different perspectives. Read books, ask questions, challenge your own beliefs and biases (see below!). If you’re white, be careful not to shift the burden of education to your friends or contacts who are black or of colour. If you’re stuck on where to begin, Google is your friend. Literally search “anti-racist books” or “anti-racism resources” and Bob’s your uncle! Do the work yourself and commit to unlearning and dismantling discriminatory practices and beliefs, yours and those still prevalent in our society.
THREE | CONFRONT YOUR OWN BIASES – Regardless of what race you are, you will have a bias. We all have our biases, some stronger than others, some more ingrained than others. I took the Harvard Implicit Bias Test and was a little shocked by the results. I would highly recommend anyone reading this to take the test and reflect on the results. Why do you have that bias? What does it stem from? Acknowledging the existence of that bias, how do you think it affects your behaviour, your interactions, your relationships and your decision-making?
FOUR | SPEAK UP – Following on from the above, I would encourage everyone to speak up and confront discriminatory, prejudiced, biased, bigoted, racist behaviour whenever it comes up. Don’t let that “awkward” joke slide, don’t give your parents or grandparents a pass. Don’t just endure the awkward family dinner, and comfort your inner self that YOU are not the one saying those awful things because YOU don’t believe them even if they are being said in your presence and conversation. If you are truly committed to being anti-racist, then don’t allow bias or prejudice in any form to have a foothold in your life sphere.
FIVE | SUPPORT DIVERSE BRANDS – Use your purchasing power to support proper wealth distribution through purchasing from black brands and brands by people of colour. The above post from the founder of Klur broke my heart and this is someone who has established a well-respected, high quality brand. I want to make clear that I am not saying that you should now only buy black. That’s not at all the message here. I am simply saying support business from a diverse range of communities, including black communities and communities of colour.
SIX | VOTE – The legislation and changes in policy required to ensure real equality for all peoples in society are not going to come just on the basis of hopes and good intentions. Legislative action is required to outlaw practices that enable and promote discrimination and as such we all need to put pressure on our politicians at all levels to ensure that this legislative action is taken. This means voting in those politicians whose policies and manifestos align with your beliefs and reflect the changes you want to see in society. If you abstain from voting, not only can you not influence policies but you can also not complain about the discriminatory practices that prevail when you chose to abstain from voting in a way that could bring a stop to it. So get to learning about the various parties, what they stand for, what they are promising and vote accordingly.
Any other ways that you see how we can affect change? Shout in the comments below!
