The last couple of weeks have been tumultuous for anyone who is Black. In the middle of a pandemic, a moment where people all over the world are fighting a deadly virus, we have had the additional burden of seeing Black lives snuffed out by the threat of white supremacy and racism.
Overwhelmed and exhausted are the two words that I have used to describe how I am feeling as a Black person right now, and social media has played a complicated role in how I’ve experienced this. On the one hand, it’s been a place where I’ve gone to connect with my community and find the resources to assuage feelings of helplessness. On the other, it’s also been a place where I’ve seen the Black body desensitised in triggering content, and come to confront the rise of pseudo-solidarity.
Performative allyship from brands and individuals using their voices to reject racism as a quick or instant fix, or a disclaimer of association, is rising to the feeling of this moment, and showing very little investment in the next.
Last week, my Instagram feed was inundated with black squares. Compared with the days that had preceded it, on Blackout Tuesday, white and non-black allies, who had been largely silent within their own feeds, were noticeably taking this moment as an opportunity to participate. The intention may have been to show solidarity to Black Lives Matter, and for some maybe this was the conduit that they needed to speak, but for newcomers, if you have gone so far as to share a black square, now is the time to make yourself accountable to act outside of social platforms.
“To end things at a post would be an egregious disrespect to the Black Lives Matter movement that has worked tirelessly to found itself upon radical activism and direct action.”
When I hesitate to speak on social media, it’s because I am sceptical of the ways it lures us into feeling that to post is to do. And to end things at a post would be an egregious disrespect to the Black Lives Matter movement that has worked tirelessly to found itself upon radical activism and direct action.
As an ally you should understand the pain that is being felt in this moment is a nuanced but global and political one. You may have woken up to it now, but for Black people, racism is an old, shared reality of existence that comes in many forms. Confronting it is about dismantling institutional structures that disempower us from protection and justice.
So how can we do that?
You can use forms of political protest to support work in dismantling those structures. If you are in position to safely protest, take part in the protests happening throughout the UK being organised by Black Lives Matter UK groups in cities from London to Cardiff. To help mount pressure for policy change in the US, signing the petitions for Ahmaud Aubery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Nina Pop, and Tony McDade will help, but also consider writing a letter to your MP highlighting this and the issues that exist here. The UK is not innocent – justice is needed for key worker Belly Mujinga; an increase in police powers to stop and search is aiding racial profiling; and deaths at the hands of police of Rashan Charles, Mark Duggan and Edson Da Costa, just to name a few, are our issues. If you are lost for words or where to start, there are searchable templates online; one by Zainab Asunramu has been constructed specifically to help with this.
As an ally, address issues of finance and wealth distribution. Understand that the road to justice is not only a long one, but an expensive one. Some bigger organisations have paused on accepting donations, but donations to lesser known protester bail funds, legal aids and support networks through organisations such as the Know Your Rights Freedom Camp, Covid Bail Out NYC and Black Lives Matter are active. In the UK, The Stephen Lawrence Fund, Black Lives Matter UK and Black Minds Matter UK are just a few grassroots organisations providing essential support.
If you think your company or institution you work for can financially support an organisation, be proactive about starting the conversations that lead to these outcomes. Don’t just rely on the voice of your Black colleagues to do the emotional labour and risk reprimands.
“This moment feels urgent, intense and petrifying, but in truth, it shakes up a lot of the common negative experiences, emotions and anxieties that black people have had because of the colour of our skin.”
You should think about where your money goes in general. With brands rushing to opt-in and post about a movement they have made no utterances about before, it begs the question was this support or absolution? The Pull Up or Shut Up movement started by Sharon Chuter, the founder of Uoma beauty, has challenged brands to share the stats on the number of Black employees, emphasising that in not hiring representatively you are essentially sustaining a wealth gap that perpetuates Black marginalisation. The transparency – and the lack of transparency – has been telling. Aiming to consciously buy from Black-owned businesses and businesses that are supporting BAME advancement is a way of aligning your money with this call-to-action.
Self-education is also necessary for any well meaning ally. Get comfortable and informed on what is meant by white privilege, unconscious bias and the UK’s of implementing and sustaining structural and institutional racism. It is commendable the way feeds are spilling out with recommendations of books, podcasts, documentaries and films that provide a gateway to this, but once you are informed, use your privilege to call out and pull others up. The conversations really need to start from now and they can be with the people who are closest to you, the ones who have the opinions you are now in a position to address and challenge.
This moment feels urgent, intense and petrifying, but in truth, it shakes up a lot of the common negative experiences, emotions and anxieties that black people have had because of the colour of our skin. It’s shining a spotlight on the myriad of ways racism and anti-blackness takes shape. In this year alone, we have not only mourned the deaths of Black people at the hands of the police, but we are mourning Black bodies abused in the streets of China. We are mourning those BAME people at disproportionately high risk of dying from Covid-19 in the UK. But for Black people, challenging racism does not end when the news on it stops.
We all have different roles to play demanding justice, and the roles of allies are just as important as any. If there is any connecting thread behind all these suggestions of constructive allyship it is that it is long term, introspective and hard. Yes you may make mistakes, and when you do evaluate them. Don’t let that be the reason for why you never start. Doing this work is what enables the dismantling and not the perpetuation of racism.
Rhona Chioma Ezuma is the Editor in Chief of THIIIRD magazine, a fashion stylist and creative director.