Speaking Up In This Age of Black Death And Racism Means…A Lot

Watching a black man being lynched to death on TV to Black Lives Matter, honestly, we’re all just tired of white privilege.

Source : Unsplash

Here’s a new name to add to a growing list of racist murders. Now, multiply that with a million. And more. And then more. Until you cannot possibly fathom the decades and decades of racial oppression.

Yet, this has become a new normal for all of us. It starts from a tweet you share or a post on Facebook of a black man being ambushed by two white men, an Aboriginal or Torres Straight man being killed in Police custody, while a white man from his seat in the office asks on a bright Tuesday morning “Aye mate, how was your day today”?

We are forced to bite our tongues, underrate the power of story telling, swallow our anger and push back the tears to remain professional and friendly because expressing hurt caused by the murder of a black man is considered more professional than a POC being shot to death.

Speaking Up is Difficult.

You see something ethically questionable. Stand up against an offensive speech. Disagree with an already popular consensus. Add another idea (or a female!) to the decision-making process. And for a whole host of cognitive reasons and your future self, you remain quite. You tend to not act and then rationalize your inaction.

We have to realize how psychologically painful and meaningful it can be to speak up. Providing a voice to others, from #MeToo Movement to #BLM Movement , it has been painstakingly crucial to acknowledge the impact of these words and stories.

And it is through the stories of underrated females that I try to voice out my opinions and hope to inspire a few others.

I’ve complied a list of books, short films and eye-opening movies — with a focus on female storytellers exploring how they have used their craft to create a social and liberating change by framing the narratives we use to navigate in this systemic racist world.

BOOKS / ARTICLES -

1. Oprah! : How the Media Mogul found her voice of truth. By William W. George and Andrew N. McLean from Harvard Business Review Case Studies.
2. The HELP : By Kathryn Stockett. An inspiring journey of African-American maids and the struggles they faced on a daily basis pre- World War 1.
3. Becoming : By Michelle Obama. A powerful journey of Michelle from her down-trodden community to being the First Lady of the United States.
4. A Thousand Splendid Suns : By Khaled Hosseini. A breath taking novel on the oppression of Afghani wives in their marriage.
5. Not Without My Daughter : By Betty Mahmoody. A real life story where a mother is exploited and prisoned by her husband in Afghanistan and how she and her daughter escape via routes of Turkey.

SHORT FILMS / MOVIES -

1. Somalinimodoc : Directed by Alice Aedy. A story of four remarkable Somali women navigating being black, female and Muslim.
2. Forsamafilm : Directed by Waad Al-Kateab. A short film on the fight continuing in Syria until it is free and the justice is served.
3. Belle : Directed by Amma Asante. An illegitimate daughter of a navy admiral grows up to abolish slavery in England.

In this era, we have to be mindful of our behaviour and the choices we make collectively that is to be laid out for our future generations. And so, we have to educate to socially motivate others to speak up.

Thank you for reading!