CHANGE - THE LONG HAUL
Change and acceptance, acceptance and change - are these two meant to go hand in hand? Both have been on a constant loop in my head these past few weeks and when I try to separate them, they appear to be joined at the hip. A package deal… and no, I can’t have one without the other.
They refer to different things and yet possibly the same two currently residing in the heads and hearts of so many right now. Things that draw a breath from deep within ourselves before we hold up a mirror and take a long, hard look.
Acceptance we’ll get to another day - change is first in the queue.
In the wake of the senseless, gut-wrenching killing of George Floyd and the world-reaction that followed, along with many others I’ve finally woken up to the extent of systemic racism that exists both here and in the U.S. The awakening came in waves. First horror and sadness closely followed by outrage and then a lull of guilt, shame and exasperation as to why it had taken me so long to recognise this? Why only now has it been decided enough is enough when there have already been far too many names accompanied by the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag?
I think at this point I could have gone around in circles for days and ended up none the wiser. Better then to accept that the logic of always considering myself just “not racist” was inadequate and a blind logic. Time to pick up, move forward and swim with the tide of change. Reflect, listen, learn and absorb what being anti-racist means today, tomorrow, next week, next month and next and every year. Like many, questions as to how to maintain this position and help on an ongoing basis abound. Once the black squares and pledges of solidarity moved to the bottom of the Instagram grid, what happens then?
Going forward I plan to continue read, learn and be inspired via the books that I’ve recently gathered and also include more black authors in my fiction pile too. I can learn from the words of the Black content creators I’ve recently followed on Instagram. Through the accounts shared by others in recent days my feed is starting to feel more diverse. Some share the effects of racism and white privilege as part of their everyday lives and many do so in amongst their minimal style, interiors and lifestyle content. The kind of stuff I love to consume.
Alongside these are others I’ve discovered with a main focus on anti-racism education. These accounts are incredibly helpful when you’re looking for practical things that, done collectively, could help put an end to racism for future generations. So many of these feeds are being passed around on Instagram at the moment so it’s easy to find them and absorb and reflect on what’s being shared. I’ll list some of the resources and Instagram feeds that I’ve found so far at the end of this post.
Amid the plethora of emotion and support expressed I’ve seen people asking if it's too soon to hope that the tide is turning. I would imagine that for those of us that hold white skin privilege, it's a lot easier to have hope when you haven’t grown up with and suffered at the hands of systemic racism. Candice Brathwaite summed it up perfectly here on the day after #BlackOutTuesday - “This is day 2 for most of you. And day 11,680 for me…” Go read the rest here. And then read it again.
As a content creator, I can further help by ensuring that any brands I choose to feature here in style or interiors posts promote diversity themselves. I can share Black and People Of Colour owned businesses with the minimal vibe that I think you might like both here and on Instagram. If on occasion I work with a brand to create paid content (and I’ll be honest - this is becoming a lot rarer for me these days), I can check to see if they’ll be including Black women and Women Of Colour in their campaigns. If the answers to these things are no then I can’t be a part of the campaign or promote the brand as part of any edit I might compile for the blog.
Perhaps the most challenging thing any white person of my generation who wants to affect change will do in all of this will be to focus inward and be honest about the ingrained biases we’ve grown up with. To face them square on and question and challenge everything that’s gone before. It might be uncomfortable and maybe contentious when it comes to conversations with family, friends or loved ones.
For sure we’ll be concerned about causing offence to the Black community in the way we talk about anti-racism. We’ll worry about saying the wrong thing and how we’ll react when the mistakes we might make are fed back to us. It doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t make the change though. And when you compare that to living a life in the shadow of constant systemic racism, it’s not that hard at all.
A Few Instagram Accounts I Love
minimal style + interiors
for Insight + education
L : R @novareidofficial | | @holidayphillips | @frankandfeel
Take a look at Abisola’s (@abimarvel)’s Instagram page where you’ll find so many insights into her own experiences, some Black Lives Matter education and historical information. And there are more useful resources here on her lifestyle brand, arva, too.
Read this article from Holiday Phillips on why Performative Allyship Is Deadly
This graphic on @alliesforblm_oc on how to be a sustainable ally makes perfect sense.
This from Layla F Saad - Do The Work: An Anti-Racist Reading List over on the Guardian…
Watch the brilliant TED talk by Nova Reid - it is so powerful. Nova also has a free anti-racism guide here if you’re looking to start but are unsure how.
what’s in my book pile… so far…
Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge
Me And White Supremacy: How To Recognise Your Privilege, Combat Racism And Change The World by Layla F Saad
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo
I Am Not Your Baby Mother by Candice Brathwaite
fiction by black authors
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo
Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
black owned businesses to support
I’m currently in the process of revamping a section of simply. START. living and as part of that, I’ll be adding a directory of beautiful minimal brands that I think you might like to shop with. I’ll include businesses owned by Black people and People Of Colour but for now, here are some discoveries I’ve made along the way. If you know of others with a minimal vibe, please drop me a note in the comments below…
