Black Lives Matter | Acknowledging my lack of black history education
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| Stuff Grace Made |
It started with the brutal murder of a black man, George Floyd, in Minneapolis, Minnesota on 25th May by a white police officer. This was a clear example of police brutality which is all too common, especially among black and minority ethnic (BAME) people. This event feels like it was a catalyst for the people who had always been fighting for the rights of black people, indigenous people and people of colour (BIPOC) to again ask to have their voices listened to. Others, who have only recently learnt about racism and white supremacy, which are still sadly rife throughout the globe, have joined the cause to learn to be anti-racists and allies and to amplify BAME voices.
--- Opinion | George Floyd, Police Accountability and the Supreme Court - The New York TimesThese articles helped me to understand how easy it is for police officers to get away with excessive force while doing their job. They are allowed to claim that there are always reasonable grounds for them to do this and that, if not, they would not be able to do their job properly because they would always be worried that they may be charged with an offence. However, surveys of police on the job show that they actually never feel this worry before doing something that may be considered an offence which brings into doubt the grounds for qualified immunity.
Although the instances of police brutality featured in the media recently and the first protests have been in the US, that makes it easy to think that we in the UK don't have racism. But, of course, we do. It is just as much of a problem, especially systemically, and as a result of our colonial history but sometimes just manifests itself in varying ways. For example, one of the big differences between the UK and US is the carrying of guns. The UK can all too easily deny that there is racism, especially when the lens is focussed on the US, but we really need to start addressing it here. I think something that would make the most difference is incorporating black history and colonial history into the education system early on so that it isn't missed out or brushed over.
The current problem in both these countries is that the people in charge, our PM and their President, are racist. This means that they are not inclined to point out the systemic and institutional racism in their countries and actually hold themselves accountable for doing better and improving their countries. Their behaviour simply allows for the general population to think that it is okay to behave in this way and it clearly isn't. It should be commonplace for governments to be able to criticise each other when their views are clearly violating human rights.
I like to say that I have always tried to consume information and stories, whether that be as books, podcasts, articles or tv shows, from a diverse range of people of all background to give myself a wide understanding about the world and different cultures. But through listening to people on social media during this time, I realised I had been naive. I think this would be the case for a lot of white British people who unknowingly go through school without any education on the real history of Britain which should include colonisation, colonialism and slavery.
I did have somewhat of a starting point for my education, having learnt through my life about black history or the slave trade through films, documentaries or books. I think my biggest mistake when learning this, however, was in detaching the information from the present day. It is easy for white people to think that nothing like slavery, apartheid or segregation existed in recent history or that the ways would persist today, and that is where white privilege is most obvious. The ability to be naive about these facts is evidence of that white privilege. So, I read the books, I watched the films, and I moved on with my life, convincing myself that it was all fixed now, after all, it was the 21st century.
I don't want to be yet another person who seems to profit off white guilt and this social media trend around black lives matter, however, I have learnt a lot and want to share what I have learnt and where I have found the most useful resources were. As they say, "knowledge is power" and I truly believe that because if we have all the facts about a topic, be it, racism, white privilege, black history, slavery... then I feel like we are more equipped to educate others and therefore help society to progress to be able to tackle systemic (or institutional), as well as individual, racism.
I want to address my lack of black history and BIPOC/BAME education because it has been lacking for too long. I know that I need to learn and then use my knowledge to have uncomfortable conversations with the people around me to pass on what I have learnt and become antiracist. As a starting point, I have been keeping up with the news and opinion articles during this time where black lives matter is trending. I have also started to follow some black activists so that my social media feeds will continue to help me learn even when this has stopped trending.
Resources
1619 - podcast series by New York Times
About Race - podcast series by Reni Eddo-Lodge
The YIKES Podcast with Mikaela Loach and Jo Becker
Articles to Read:
TV shows to Watch:
13th - documentary (Netflix & YouTube)
Dear White People - fiction Netflix series
Reggie Yates: Life & Death in Chicago - documentary
I Am Not Your Negro - James Baldwin film
When They See Us - series about a true story
Noughts & Crosses - BBC fiction series based on a book
The Greenbook - film about the deep south of America in the 1960s
If Beale Street Could Talk - James Baldwin adaption
Non-Fiction Books to Read:
Why I Am No Longer Talking To White People About Race - Reni Eddo-Lodge
Me & White Supremacy - Layla F. Saad
Brit(Ish) - Afua Hirsch
Black & British: A Forgotten History - David Olusoga
The Good Immigrant - Nikesh Shukla
I Am Not Your Baby Mother - Candice Brathwaite
Natives: Race & Class in the Ruins of Empire - Akala
How to be an antiracist - Ibram X. Kendi
Fiction Books to Read:
Girl, Woman, Other - Bernadine Evaristo
Such a Fun Age - Kiley Reid
Americanah - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
But after all that learning, the next most important thing we can do is to stand in support of the people facing racism today. Whether that be through donations to organisations and memorial funds, supporting petitions with our signatures or emailing through to your local government (MP) or any institutions you are a part of to ask what they are doing to tackle racism.
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| Oliver Jeffers |
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