This artwork is based on an image found on the internet - source unknown (TBC)

It’s undeniable that the truth is uncomfortable but now is the time to lean into it and together we can break through the barriers that block opportunities for some but not for others.

Maybe like me, your whole week has been wrapped up in the unrest in America and the wider repercussions of systemic anti-Black racism.

You may already have access to a stash of “read” and “watch” lists, thanks to the numerous resources being shared across the web and social, but just in case you’re still not sure where to look,I want to use this platform to make information and action available to all who get this.

It may feel to some of us like it’s not happening on our doorstep, but the truth is, it concerns us all. Perhaps racism doesn’t look exactly the same here as it does in the US, but it’s still at the root of who gets to live in certain areas, who gets to go to certain schools and universities, who gets hired for certain jobs, who gets to make the laws (we just have to look at the stats to know the truth). It is on our doorstep, and it is all of our problem.

I really want to use this newsletter to help spread information, compassion, awareness and choice that is important for our wellbeing, the wellbeing of our planet and affects all of us, of every colour, at the soul level. As someone of mixed race, I have felt the pain of racism but to such a lesser degree to what goes on across the world every day, even in those cosmopolitan cities of privilege and education. To my Black friends and subscribers, though I shall never truly understand your suffering, I stand with you and I will endeavour to do better by you.

I have surprised myself at how ignorant I have been to so many things because they are not in my immediate awareness — I know it goes on, sure, I know that it is endemic and systemic, but I did think that as a nation we were getting more progressive and aware of inequalities thanks to wider social circles and the internet. But that’s not proactive enough. We need to watch, learn, listen and put more into practice so that when uncomfortable situations arise we have the vocabulary and clarity of thought that allows us to step in when we see or hear of injustice no matter how small, that we use our voice and actions to speak up.

I can only liken this to some recent movements which address age-old issues embedded in what we’ve widely accepted as the status quo — from #MeToo to wider awareness of mental health and LGBTQ+ issues. I find that conversations that were once taboo are now taboo if they don’t take place at all. I believed as a young girl that I’d been born into a country where women had equal rights, where active laws allowed minority groups to thrive and abuse was investigated thoroughly. Yes, some of this is in place, but it’s not nearly strong enough or fast enough. There is an elephant in the room, there are many other elephants in the room, but the opportunity has arisen for us to unify our efforts and do something about it. So how can we be actively anti-racist rather than passively non-racist, to borrow an idea from activist and scholar Angela Davis?

Take some time today to educate yourself further. I’ve included a blog post that I wrote on Monday with resources that I’ve collated from others, and below are some of the things that I’ve been listening to this week if you’d like to join me and have a listen/watch too. This is not about being political. This is about creating safety and opportunity for all who have historically not benefited from it.

<1 minute

Watch Allison Holker and tWitch on White Privilege Is Real

Watch Jane Elliott on white privilege

<5 minutes

Read Clint Smith on Becoming a Parent in the Age of Black Lives Matter via The Atlantic

Listen to Clara Amfo on BBC Radio 1 on mental health and racism

Watch George The Poet on BBC Newsnight on mass unawareness

Listen to to Brittany Packnett Cunningham on the potential digital suppression of #BlackOutTuesday

<20 minutes

Watch Charlotte Williams on Racism & Supporting the Black Community

Watch Jane Elliott on What needs to change via Eunice Olumide

<30 minutes

Dr. Ateh Jewel and Arabella Preston in discussion on how to be a part of the solution

Bold Mama Elle and Guru Jagat in discussion on unity in action and the change that's happening.

To paraphrase what journalist Dr. Ateh Jewel said in an Instagram Live this morning, “little voices make a big change so don’t feel overwhelmed. Little voices coming together make a difference. Remember Slavery was once legal, and Women have only had the vote for 100 years.”

Let’s amplify melanated voices together. I would love to thank my friends and acquaintances who have taken the time to have valuable convos with me this past week and share info with me and also to my small but perfectly formed team Nick, Iris and Naomi for our combined efforts to hold each other accountable.

AMPLIFYING BLACK VOICES