The institutional racism that seems hardwired America’s authorities has once again reared its ugly head in the form of a video which has shocked the world. The harrowing clip and responses of protest across the states have understandably instigated a surge of social media uproar from every corner of society, and people’s attention has turned to the communities who suffer at the effects of racism every single day.
The disgust and outcry are genuine and deserved, but how many times have we been here before?
When the conversation dies down and the media spotlight shifts on to the next global tragedy, the suffering of people carries on in silence and nothing seems to change. As the pressures of public fury inevitably peter away, business as usual resumes for these toxic systems that repress ethnic communities. Only when another tragedy occurs is the debate reignited. It seems that keeping the conversation alive and engaging more people with it is the only way forward in eradicating the utter absurdity that is, racism in the 21st Century.
Some people in the UK might not think that it affects them, or that the scenes currently unfolding in America bear no reflection to the situation in the UK. The truth is that systemic racism is ingrained so deeply into our society that many people aren’t even aware of it. The very fact that the mortality rate in BAME individuals is up to twice as high has white individuals is a stark and very current reminder of how the effects of historical, institutional racism are being felt by people every day.
Another commonly held view seems to be that not being racist is enough to combat racism in society - but inaction is not enough. We need to be actively anti-racist to shine a light into the corners where prejudice has cultivated and existed for so many years to truly remove it. Carrying on the conversation is a key part of this. It is not an issue that can be tackled by nationalist dogmas that seem to be favoured in many countries. In a world where we have never been more connected to each other, only a concerted global effort will tackle this problem.
Keeping this issue at the forefront of our minds is crucial and can be done in many ways including:
· Following and engaging with social media channels and pages which promote racial equality, keeping them within our daily news feeds
· Donating money to support organisations, victims of police brutality and bailing protesters
· Signing petitions
· Actively challenging racism every day and not being afraid to question it when we see it
The final bullet point is the one that I believe is the most important, and which first compelled me to write this article. Racism is a massively complex and issue which holds enormous sensitivity for people. As a white, middle-class male, I am aware that I am completely unqualified to lead any discussion on the subject of prejudice against people of colour. I have no expertise in this matter other than what I can see, hear and feel just like many others. I have often felt too intimidated to openly discuss issues of race at the risk of sounding ignorant or upsetting people. I realise now that this is not a progressive approach towards such an urgent issue, and the only solution to this is through learning.
Too much suffering has gone on for people to shy away from creating a reciprocal dialogue to combat it, and we need to educate each other to understand the issues and the ways in which we can address them. I have noticed that opinions are often polarised in the ways that people do this; one person might think that posting black squares on Instagram is a benign gesture of solidarity,
another might think that this instead reinforces silence. Whatever your opinion, surely maintaining engagement is more useful than inactivity?
Instead of reprimanding people for ignorance, we need to educate, encourage and be tolerant of people’s interpretations of activism. Otherwise we risk people becoming more introverted and cautious.
By working together and educating each other can we create the catalyst for change.