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Strong Enough?

Hi everyone. Happy New Year and welcome to 2022. Blimey, 2021 was another toughie wasn’t it?!

How did everyone get on over the festive period? I hope you’re feeling well and ready for this coming year. Whatever your goals I hope you reach them.

In my last post, Self Care Survival, I shared some of my strategies for looking after ourselves. It was prompted by the challenges of the festive season, but we all know that self care is for life not just for Christmas, even if we’re not perfect at practicing it.

Today, I’m collecting my thoughts on how we might define what is is to be “strong”. It’s a follow up from Self Care Survival. By looking after ourselves, through reflection, rest and recharge, we grow stronger. It’s inspired by some of the books I’ve read (always with the books…I know, I know), the things I’ve learnt and the role models I’m surrounded by.

Self Care Survival

This time of year often gets busy. It can get tricky too – emotions surface about the last year, overwhelm about to do lists and social events rears its ugly head, there might be disappointment about the things you thought you’d accomplish but didn’t…the list goes on.

It’s no wonder there are a lot of articles out there about self care. It’s Important. And it’s not something many of us are any good at.

I’ve been thinking about self care for people who work in Diversity and Inclusion. It’s a tough gig. And it’s crucial we look after ourselves if we’re going to keep treading this long, long path towards equality.

Each time a person of colour delivers, or takes part in, training about Diversity and Inclusion, it’s involuntary therapy. They find themselves having to face into the injustices of life, the trauma they’ve experienced, their families’ history, their children’s futures. Every time they read a news report about racism, they have to accept that we’re a million miles away from racial justice. They’re forced to reconcile with the fact that the work their putting their heart and soul into may only be making the tiniest of differences, if any. Each instance of gaslighting they witness, trolling they experience, or lack of interest is is like a slap in the face.

Yeah, it’s a tough gig. But we keep going.

So today’s post is a quick reminder of some of the fundamentals of self care – the ones I’ve valued the most along my personal journey towards antiracism.

The one and the many

Antiracism is my passion. Getting more people talking about race is my mission. (Along with reading books and drinking tea.)

But it’s impossible to work towards racial justice without also striving for equality for all people.

The Equality Act of 2010 makes it illegal to discriminate against anyone based on these nine protected characteristics.

Covid Questions

Wow! I haven’t wrottien since 26th August. That’s the longest I’ve gone without talking to you guys since I started Oo! That’s A Bit Racey! just over a year ago.

Covid hit me quite hard at the start of September. While I was lucky, I didn’t have horendous symptoms, it did knock me for six, and it’s only in the last week or so that the fog has lifted and my energy levels have come back up to speed.

It’s weird, and scary, having covid. After spending 18 months reading about it, trying to keep yourself and your loved ones safe, you have it. Your loved ones are at risk. You can’t leave the house for ten days. You’re fears have come true!

Are more people doing it?

Are they? You know? Doing the thing? The thing I’ve been trying to encourage? Talk about race?

I realise now that when I set out on this blog of mine, I set an objective that I couldn’t measure. Rookie error!

I know I’ve talked a lot. And I’ve talked with lots of people too. I’ve chatted with friends, made new contacts and friends for life, shared some inspirational people’s voices. But what’s happening out there beyond my circle? Are more people talking about race? That’s the big question.

One year on

Who doesn’t get nostalgic on a birthday?

One year on from publishing Oo! That’s A Bit Racey! I indulged in half an hour of nostalgia. I looked back through all of my posts, and thought about what I’ve learnt personally, what others have helped me understand, and what I’ve put out there into my circle of influence.

Today’s post is a summary of some of the most pertinent points that some of the wonderful people I’ve spoken with have shared with me.

To introduce this anniversary post, I’ll start with some quotations from my first posts….they remind me of why I’m here, chatting to you.

The whole world is on a journey right now. At least, the whole world has an opportunity to be.

Discussion is the most important thing we can commit to if we’re going to learn together as a society.

It’s not easy. It’s not comfortable. But it is important.

More of us are making a difference .

The Big Five (life skills to make a difference)

Oo! That’s A Bit Racey! is an anti-racist blog. It’s designed to open up conversations about race and racism. But it’s impossible to focus solely on race, because every one of us is human, so each of us has layer upon layer of defining characteristics.

So today’s blog is about how all of us can support individuals.

I spoke with wise friend and fellow activist, Adam Brett, in a fascinating interview. Between us we came up wth what we think are the five key skills we can all develop to support everyone.

The I and the System

It’s been a big week (again) in the world of anti-racism here in the UK. After the England male football team’s last minute defeat in the Euro final, three Black players received a torrent of racist abuse.

In actual fact, these players receive racist abuse every day, but this week it’s been particularly high profile.

There’s been an outpouring of support with many, many individuals declaring their admiration for the three men. The events have fueled discussions in the media, in the Houses of Parliament and in the streets. It’s inspired a new Facebook profile icon for people to visibly demonstrate their support.

All this is positive, I guess. It proves to the non-believers that racism in the UK is genuinely a thing. It also shows how many people are not racist, and are willing to speak out against racism.

In all honesty though, people being called racially abusive names is abhorent, but it’s the least of our problems. It’s systemic racism that really needs to be addressed. It’s the fact that the framework of the UK contains unacceptable imbalances in the experiences of ethnic minorities versus those who are White.

Four (dangerous) reasons

It’s coming up to Oo! That’s A Bit Racey!‘s first birthday. Happy birthday to my treasured project and beloved pastime. I’m a sucker for getting reflective on a birthday, so I’ve been thinking about what I’ve learnt in the last year of my musings and scribbles.

Bloom, Flow, Celebrate

Have you ever followed an Instagram account, because you love the vibe, the aesthetic and the messaging, and then you meet the person behind it and find yourself loving it even more? Well that happened to me when I met Deshaun from Bloom & Flow.