However, I am a Person of Color, coming from Sri Lanka, and in that, I can and want to give my input on how #Blacklivesmatter actually is a matter for the whole world when it comes to racism and social structure.
Clear on that?
Good. Then we start.
And we start with me being so tired when it comes to talking about racism and how it affects Persons of Color (PoC) all over the world. In our everyday life, in how we have to think, act and also plan our future.
#Blacklivesmatter is not a new movement and even though it happens in the USA where the history of racism is different from Sweden and the rest of the world it creates ripples on the water.
First: The riots there not only put the focus on USA:s long and unsolved history when it comes to slavery and the treatment of taking black people from a whole continent. It also puts the focus on their system of racism based on social and political injustice against black people and other PoC that the country has failed to solve during so many years.
Second: #Blacklivesmatter does not mean that it's worth more than any other lives. Swedish Actor Alexander Karim sums it up pretty well.
In short, what happens right now with #blacklivesmatter can be explained like this:
Or even shorter: The riots are the results of a fucked up system, black people are angry because of years and years of mistreatment and for being killed just for being black. It's not a new movement and this is not the first time it has been riots because of how black people are being treated and murdered by police in the USA.
With that, how does this have an impact on the rest of the world?
As said before, the #blacklivesmatter movement creates huge ripples on the water and also raises the question of racism all over the world.
Because this is a worldwide problem.
PoC all over the world have lesser rights, less privilege, lesser payment and also lesser chances of having a good education and to be treated as equals to white people.
This is the result of a system that has rewarded and prioritized white people based on both skin color
but also because of a history where white people held the economical and social power in a huge part of the world. (Yes, this goes for most countries because hey colonization.)
The #blacklivesmatter movement is in the USA but it also puts focus on the injustice that black people and PoC are being exposed for in so many countries.
For me personally, this is a hard time.
I have gotten used to racism over the years. I've learned to live with steady feet, headphones and a knowledge that at the airport I'm the one that almost always (in 9 cases out of 10) will be the one who is picked out for a routine check, I m the one who gets to hear racist comments and gets to hear words about how I should go home.
I have gotten used to it but it still hurts like hell and it drains me to the bone.
"Don't take it personal Anna, you are not black."
"Don't take it personal Anna, this is Sweden, we don't have racism here."
"Don't take it personal Anna, you have lived here all your life."
Fuck you and the horse you rode on.
Of course, I take it personally when the matter of my existence boils down to my skin color.
And of course, I take it personally when I need to be the calm one that educates everyone around me about racism when I'm so tired that I just want to lie down and cry for hours.
2020 has not been a good year for humanity or the Earth and one part of me completely understands when people say that they can't bear to engage in the fight against racism.
I hear you all.
But this is not something new, it was a fire that was bound to explode sooner or later. And it's not a question for USA only, it's about all black people and PoC all over the world.
With that, we need to take action.
First of all, you can sign Amnesty's list here
That's the easy part.
Then you can start doing the following:
- Stop saying racist jokes. Instead, be the one to tell your friends not to pull racist jokes.
- Don't treat black women and women of color as an exotic and sexy bucket list item. We are humans.
- Be aware of your white privilege and use it to make a difference. Check your workspace, your network of friends, your hobby and ask yourself why it's so white.
- Check your prejudices and ask yourself what you can do to stop injustice towards PoC. (for example, stop thinking that all black people and PoC are thieves, that we are less educated and that we are poor.)
- Stand up against nazism and racism by joining peaceful protests. Don't let black people and PoC take the fight alone. But at the same time, don't bring your aggressiveness and will to hate the system to a peaceful demonstration. Just don't. Never ever.
- And last but least, lift up black people and PoC ALL YEAR around. Give them a platform and a voice. So there will not be a huge surprise over racism next time this happens.
#blacklivesmatter is a question about the black people in USA, in the world. It also puts a focus on racism against PoC all over the world.
This is not a question about politic.
This is not a question about USA.
This is not a question that only concerns black people and PoC.
Structural racism and social injustice is a question for the whole world.
It's a question that we all need to work for.
This is a question about our lives.
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| We need to stand up for #blacklivesmatter and for a world without racism. We need to be anti-racists and actually make a difference. For a better world. Photo by Iduna Pertoft |
