Black Lives (still) Matter

An 8am chainsaw in a neighbouring garden wasn’t the most sedate start to a Saturday I’ve had. However I was soon distracted by an ad for the Rachel’s creamy yogurt brand, which was a reminder of its deliciousness. It’s one of those foods that I forget exists when overseas, and I think I actually dribbled.

I attended the afternoon march in Cambridge city centre, organised by Movement Against Racism. These have been happening fortnightly since George Floyd’s death. One of the organisers said she was quizzed by someone as to why she is still attending as apparently ‘it’s over’. In fact, it is far from over. And what is ‘it’? Reacting to an incident of raw police brutality, or highlighting an eternity of racial oppression and injustice?

I’ve almost finished the book White Fragility, which contains important insight into how and why the whole concept of race and society is entirely white-centric. Until everybody can acknowledge that oppression of non-white people by white people has taken place over history, and take steps to act against the status quo, there will always be a need for anti-racism activism. This doesn’t mean white people have to cover themselves in shame, but to have the humility and emotional maturity to agree that there are issues to uncover and repair.

Judging by the sheer bewilderment on the faces of passersby as we marched, and how easily triggered people of a certain demographic are to the phrase ‘Black Lives Matter’, there’s rather a long way to go. I understand many people are weighed down by the daily grind of domestic and work life and that it’s hard to create brain space to be ‘active’ on issues, but the looks on people’s faces lead me to question whether the majority even know or care that racism and inequality are rife in our world. I fear a lot of people live with a huge numbness to the world around them. The same could absolutely be said of me on any number of issues, and we all need to step up and engage more. A key challenge for humanity is to resist the forces that want us to spend time dribbling over yogurt ads and prioritise time on more significant issues.

Some excellent words were shared by anyone who felt inclined to when the march paused in front of King’s College. A librarian at the University talked about ‘decolonising workspaces’, diversifying curricula and sharing narratives that are non-white. An Indian man urged us all to research Babasaheb Ambedkar, a social reformer who did much to improve the lot of India’s lowest castes and implement the constitution, yet who is barely known compared to Gandhi. Other speakers reminded us to ‘live like lions not goats’ and that ‘we are all the Martin Luther Kings of today’, and that we cannot wait around for inspirational figures to lead the fights. The information on the problems is available in people’s stories and writings. It just needs more people to listen and engage.