"It is only because of the movement of groups such as Black Lives Matter, that people like me can learn, understand, and grow with our fellow human beings into something much more progressive than our ancestors have been."
As a History graduate, I understand on an academic level about colonialism and the things which were done to the global BAME community. Much of the capitalist and industrialist world we live in was brought about by ill treatment by people who have advantage and power, over those who do not. I have read about the injustices there have been against many different races, and at first I thought I understood it, and it would be really easy to be an ‘ally’. However…
With Covid deaths affecting BAME communities and unjust deaths due to police brutality and what can only be regarded as terrorism in recent history; the past few months working from home have made me reflect on the last few years living as a white working class person in a big city. The media likes to portray the ‘terrorist’ as some ‘foreigner’ who is working to their own agenda, wanting to cause disruption and division within all peaceful living communities. But surely, the police handling of the killing of George Floyd, amongst others should be treated with equal shame and inward looking of what we are doing to ourselves as a nation. I realise the killing of George Floyd was something which happened in America, but we ourselves ‘colonised’ America and killed the indigenous people who tried to help us. So we can’t exactly hold our hands up and say we are never at fault. It is only because of the movement of groups such as Black Lives Matter, that people like me can learn, understand, and grow with our fellow human beings into something much more progressive than our ancestors have been.
My interest in allyship is a wish to be able to understand this ever complicated world we live in, and if I can play even a small part in helping with someone’s journey to equality, then I would be proud to say I tried. I realise I have a lot to learn, and also to understand. Living in Birmingham which is a multicultural city, in order to have a more cohesive community, we should all strive to understand and embrace in some way, the cultural differences and similarities we all have… and that is what I will try my best to do.