It took a man in the US dying in the hands of cops filmed and uploaded to start a revolution, the Black Lives Matter Revolution. This is not just an event that happened recently this has been an ongoing battle for people of colour and now the world is seeing the injustice and taking a stand....but will you, will I, will all of us, continue the fight after the hashtag is no longer trending?
I was born privileged, it's as simple as that. I don't have to be worried about people bullying, hurting, or purposely targeting me because of my skin colour. Because of that, I will never understand what it feels like to be a person of colour but I 100% will stand as an ally and will continue to speak up and to further educate myself.
Obviously at the moment, especially America, people are very angry and rightfully so, how many more lives have to be lost until we all see the big picture, which is someone many years ago decided that one skin colour was better than the other because they said so. This is cruel and quite honestly just an absurd way of thinking. I like to think we've come a long way with a lot of things but there is still so much racism between all races that needs to stop.
I went to the Black Lives and Aboriginal Lives Matter protest in Brisbane last weekend and as empowering and amazing that it was the stories and the messages before the march broke my heart. I know that when people say "we are so lucky to live in Australia where it isn't like the US with racism and police", they genuinely think that Australia is great with its diversity. Yes, we are culturally very diverse but you would be ignorant if you don't agree that Australia has to be one of the most racist places. People throw around Asian insults left right and centre, the sly comments made about a person when they walk into a store just because of the colour of their skin, jokes about terrorism when a lady is wearing a hijab, or practically anyone whinging about changing the date of Australia Day. All because that's when they've always had their parties and got drunk and everyone else arguing it is "too sensitive". Australia we have a racism problem as well.
Amy McQuire, a Darumbal and South Sea Islander woman from Rockhampton, wrote in a widely-shared blog post: "Australia is outraged at police brutality in the US, but apathetic to the lives of black people in their own country."
I could go on and on but the matter of the fact is I have the privilege to learn and to talk about this, I haven't had to experience this first hand. But do you know what I can do? What you can do? We can keep this fight going, we can support businesses that support all colours, genders, races, push ourselves to learn and to properly educate ourselves. Teach our younger generations, donate money where it will help, continue to march/protest, support and be an ally.
Stand up for those that feel belittled when insults are thrown at them, ask your favourite brands to show more diversity, use your privilege to intervene if you see a person of colour treated unfairly, and push for change.
ALL LIVES CAN'T MATTER UNTIL BLACK LIVES MATTER.
Here are some great links:
The Global #Movement, they have a lot of great resources and further links on their website:
The Bail Project designed to combat mass incarceration by disrupting the money bail system:
Campaign Zero: supports and identifies effective solutions to end police violence
Petitions to sign (US)
Petitions to sign in Australia
Kumanjayi Walker was shot by police three times in his home at Yuendumu in the Northern Territory in November 2019
Tanya Day, a Yorta Yorta woman, was removed from a train for public drunkenness and taken into police custody, where she sustained injuries. She ended the day unconscious in hospital and never woke up
Shannan Dodson, a Yawuru woman, has also compiled a list of books to read and organisations to support, either through donations or volunteering.
T, x
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