I understand that I will never understand, I thought when kneeling during the Black Lives Matter demonstration.
@blklivesmatter, I want you to know that I stand for solidarity. This pictures and videos were taken Sunday, the 7th of June at the anti-racist protest called up by the black community in Barcelona. The official mission statement was to take a stand against growing right-wing political sentiment in the form of racism.
We continue to be in the current state of affairs unless WE (white people) decide to make a change. Every life is unique. Every life is a whole universe and I cannot understand how it should be that for hundreds and hundreds of years men accepted life in these conditions: have accepted an existence haunted by the fear of colour, surrounded by exploitation and pain. How can mankind have put up with being here? What can we do so the Society hunted by the propel to social conformism takes a stand against racism?
I remember something that happened to me years ago. We were completely destitute of time, and I had besides me a big bag of essays and books to read. I was living in London and studying literature. One night, I went out to a house party and at one point I had this guy asking me where I´m from and then basically saying that I shouldn´t be here hanging out with all this privilege class native English students. And I remember how I felt like everything is emptying away. I myself being reduced to a kind of framework around the void and gradually being consumed and absorbed by nothingness. Of course, I do realize this experience is very minor in comparison to what many black folks did and still are going through but being Polish, I can really empathise and empathy seems to be a step towards solidarity.
Donate :
https://theearthissuefreedomfundraiser.com/ - to help bail contributions and support organisations fighting social injustice
Support :
Channel anger into something constructive and support listen, educate, vote, stand up for what you believe in.
Educate:
Explore books by black writers:
James Baldwin Dark Days, The White Men´s guilt and the Price of the Ticket
Samuel Selvon , Lonely Londoners
Maya Angelou, And Still I rise
Benjamin Zephaniah
Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Americanah
Elaine Welteroth, More than enough
Warsan Shire, Teaching my mother how to give birth
The wide range of insightful films, shows and documentaries on offer.
I´m not your Negro
Ai Weiwei Human Flow
Barry Jenkins’ film Moonlight
13th
Above all, don´t let yourself disintegrate, one must endure, resist and keep on living.
I understand that I will never understand. However, I stand.
Photography: Valeria Rossato
Text: Marta Marszalek