I wasn’t going to write about the events that have once again shown how racism is deeply embedded in the heart of our society. Not because I don’t care, but because I didn’t see a benefit to me and my tiny writing blog adding to the vast amounts already out there. But silence doesn’t serve a purpose either, so here goes.
I’ll keep it short because I don’t want to focus on my words. As much as I love words, action is what’s needed. That doesn’t mean words aren’t important. They’re why I started this blog. I appreciate the power they have. Sharing the words of Black people, and ampliyfing Black authors and their books is a small action to take. There are many more. You’ll doubtless have already seen what these actions look like; listening, learning, understanding privilege, donating, voting, signing petitions, protesting and demanding change. And not just now in the glare of a hashtag, but every day onward.
One action that comes up time and again is to read. This is understandable. Books are still our go-to learning resource even in the age of the Internet. But the written word isn’t exempt from what’s going on. The publishing industry has a serious diversity problem, as does much of what it produces.
As I said, I’m a tiny writing blog. But that doesn’t mean I can’t do more whilst still focusing on this, alongside my personal actions. Because words are great, but actions are better.
There’s a mass of resources out there. Here are just a few links I’ve used:
Wordland 