BLACK LIVES MATTER
The Inside//Out team has considered a number of ways we can speak out against the recurrent and persistent institutional racism that people of color experience overseas and in our own home of Aotearoa.
As a team, the four of us have (and continue to) benefit from white privilege. We can never fully understand what it is like to live as a person of colour, but we can commit ourselves in every possible way to this cause.
Since our platform is primarily New Zealand based (except for some Americans who might read this from my hometown), education and conversation are some great ways to start. New Zealand, like the United States, is also plagued with institutional racism.
No, we don’t have burning buildings and riots in the streets. Yes, we beat Covid-19 together. But, while we were locking down, the government passed their Covid-19 Public Health Response Bill, which allows police to enter homes without a warrant. On top of that, Police Commissioner, Mike Bush, was reviewing his six month trial for Armed Response Teams (ART) around New Zealand, which trialed primarily in Māori communities. ART experienced extreme scrutiny from Māori representatives, as it did not engage in community consultation before its launch. While a recent public push led the trial to be discontinued yesterday, Māori and Pasifika communities continue to be at risk. They are 8x more likely than Pākehā to be stopped by police and met with violence and despite only accounting for 15% of the population, Māori make up 50% of New Zealand’s prison population. These statistics are jarring in comparison to the United States, where African Americans make up around 14% of the population but 38% of the prison population. We must apply the same kind of activism against the Armed Response Trial to all forms of racism in New Zealand and elsewhere.
As young people, if we do our absolute best at trying to understand domestic and international issues of institutional and systemic racism, we can recognise our own biases, the biases of the people around us, the biases of the government, and actively try and dismantle all of these things.
You would have seen many of these resources flooding instagram, but we wanted to put it all in one place so they are able to stand the test of time, rather than expire at your fingertips. The below is not an exhaustive list by any means - we plan to actively update this list with more information and interesting sources. Also, if you have anything you recommend being a part of this list, we’d love to hear from you. We are all still learning and growing - but do not stop there. Convert your learnings into real action. This is not an issue that will disappear overnight, it is our job to keep pushing, learning, reflecting, advocating, and making change.
Take a stock of how or when you have been complicit.
Acknowledge everyone has these moments. Take note, write down how you could have changed that scenario and commit yourself to changing it for next time. Ask your friends the same questions. Hold each other to a higher standard.
Read - and really take it in.
And by that we mean, take note, annotate books, read a page and reflect. Notice what makes you uncomfortable and push yourself to know more about that specific thing. Uncomfortability often comes from a place of complete unfamiliarity, which in this case might equate to the privileges you have benefitted from.
Post a status and state your stance on Racism. Break your echo chamber of confirmed biases.
Talk to people who are less engaged in this issue and see where you can help each other learn.
Protest, write a letter to the police, write a letter to your MP.
Take your learnings and put them into real change.
Donate, email and sign petitions in New Zealand and overseas.
Sign this petition which calls for a review of racism by the police system on Māori and Pasifika communities in New Zealand. It closes 21 July 2020.
Donate, email and sign a number of petitions against police brutality and the George Flloyd killing here, even if you’re international. This is a very helpful and comprehensive site full of resources.
Watch this video on repeat all day to contribute to the cause, if you’re low on funds. 100% of advertisement revenue is being donated to Black Lives Matter.
Listen to local and international podcasts about the history and experience of people of color.
In a kiwi context:
Toi Hauora - The host and its guest look at how to approach strategic Māori development through the lens of public health.
RNZ: Matangireia - This podcast looks at the history of Māori politicians and advocating for Māori communities.
The Ripple Effect - The hosts discuss the barriers they faced in becoming successful Māori.
In a broader context:
Our Shared Podcast - A podcast playlist curated by Emma Watson on podcasts discussing race and inequality.
MPR New with Angela Davis - Based in the heart of the George Floyd protests, this Minnesota podcast has interviewed people of color on their experience after another police killing.
About Race - The author of “Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People about Race” discusses the history of racism and a call for anti-racists.
Code Switch - This NPR podcast discusses all facets of race, racism and the normalisation of violence in America.
Voting While Black - In interviews with the democratic presidential candidates, the host discusses how each candidate will address issues in black communities and their platforms on race.
1619 - This podcast addresses America, built on the backs of African Americans.
Intersectionality Matters - Kimberlé Crenshaw works with artists, activists, politicians on engaging with their identities.
Read and learn about the bedrock of institutional racism, how it has manifested into the present, and how to actively be anti-racist.
In a kiwi context:
Island Time: New Zealand’s Pacific Future’s by Damon Salesa
Justice & Race by Oliver Sutherland
Pathways to Transform Institutional (and Everyday) Racism in New Zealand by Heather Came and Tim McCreanor.
Mophead: How Your Difference Makes A Difference by Selina Tusitala Marsh
The Whakapapa of Police Violence by Emilie Rakete
In a broader context:
How to Be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi.
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander.
Watch movies and videos on the history of people of color and how racism is a part of their everyday lives.
Informational videos:
Let's get to the root of racial injustice by Megan Ming Francis
The Dangers of Whitewashing Black History by David Ikard
Why I, as a black man, attend KKK rallies. by Daryl Davis
Black Murder is Normal by Michael Smith
The Path to Ending Systemic Racism in the US hosted by Chris Anderson
Movies:
13th
We challenge you to learn from one of these resources once a day or a week, have tough conversations with the people around you, and take action to advocate for change. If you’re reading this and you would like to share your story, we would love to hear from you.
Cover image taken by Denzel De Ruysscher at the Auckland Black Lives Matter Protest
All other images taken by Kenzie Pigman at the Wellington Black Lives Matter Protests