To begin with, I'd like to apologize for not being present on my platform for such an extended amount of time. But, that's a post for another time.
Although it had been a few days since the George Floyd murder, and yes that's what it was, I have now decided to use my blog, this small bookish community we have, to speak my mind and help educate.
Because even if you cannot sign petitions or protest, like me, there are many other ways for you to help in this massive movement that has been happening for many years in the American land.
Many well-known people, with a significant amount of "media" power, have been using platforms like Instagram to educate their followers and it is something that makes me feel proud. But still, I have something to say myself.
Being an avid reader as well as a history student has taught me the importance of constantly expanding your knowledge and expressing your opinion. Sometimes, I may find myself disagreeing with what history says, or what the book states, and that's okay.
This year, we were taught everything regarding Hitler and Germany during his time. Many of us were shocked, others were disgusted, and a few did not care. From my perspective, I was frustrated. Somewhere in that entire curriculum, the words slavery, colony and segregation could have been expanded and analyzed a lot more rather than being just a definition for us to write it in a test.
In each chapter, from Gypsies to people of colour and Jews, history provided just enough information to "cover" the subject. But it did not prescribe in detail within the statutory programmes of study due to schools being allowed to have the flexibility of teaching such topics within their own ways which can be seen as "appropriate" and "sensitive" to the needs of their pupils.
And here I come and ask myself.
Is this how we are supposed to grow into proper adults?
By knowing simply, the one side of the story or some statement that a historian wrote for us to "learn" it like a song and " perform" it whenever asked?
If we take a closer look, there are 18,000 separate police forces in the US. We need to find a way to get into them all, change them all, and make those changes stick. It won’t be by simply demanding for more black police officers. That’s been tried before, and any change is happening gradually slow. It won’t simply be by giving all officers “diversity training”: a couple of weeks on the streets after completing such a course, and they’re back in their everyday routine, acting on the instincts and stereotypes. We, "white" humans, have always lived with the thought that black people or any person of colour, was born uneducated.
But the reality is that WE undeveloped them!
So if you really care about the BLM movement, here I'll be listing some books and other sources that you can use to educate yourself while not being able to publicly protest.
Books and Articles to read:
- How Europe Undeveloped Africa (Walter Rodney )
- The New Cross Massacre Story (John La Rose)
- Black London ( Marc Matera)
- Biased: The New Science of Race and Inequality ( Dr Jennifer Eberhardt)
- When They Call You A Terrorist ( Patrisse Khan -Cullors and Asha Bandele )
- Me and White Supremacy (Layla F. Saad )
- Natives ( Akala )
- Remembering Altheia Jones- Lecointe, the UK's forgotten civil rights activist
- The true story of Queen Nanny, rebel leader and Jamaican national hero
Documentaries to watch:
- What was Britain's role in the Slave Trade? ( Timeline)
- The Old Corruption
- Riots and Rumours of Riots
- Street 66 (Vimeo)
Podcasts to listen to :
In addition, you can help by supporting black-owned businesses as well as artists, musicians and filmmakers.
Keep supporting Black entrepreneurs, keep donating to funds, being engaged with the movement, holding the police accountable, talking to your friends and family about racism. Even when the literal protest ends, it's imperative to keep working to combat systemic racism in all aspects of life.
As Latham Thomas shares, "This is a lifelong commitment, not a popular one."
And remember, even us book lovers can help in this journey for equality that the black people have been chasing many years before us.
See you soon,
MissReader aka Leni
xoxoxo
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