With all that’s been going on instagram this week and worldwide, especially in the US with black lives matters, the murder of George Floyd, my heart breaks for anyone who has faced racism.
I feel very strongly about the topic of racism because being Asian, coming from Singapore, I’ve travelled to London, Paris, UK, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Rome and many European countries over the last 2 years and have faced racial discrimination.
Being a copywriter, I feel the need to use my voice to not only amplify melanated voices but amplify the racism faced by Asians, many of my followers and readers may not understand what it feels like to be racially discriminated as an Asian.
I’ve shared this exact post on the copy brew blog and am reposting it here with more updated resources about people to follow.
I understand many of our readers of the copy brew fam are from the UK, US, Canada & Australia mostly. But I feel that if I don’t speak up about racism on my social media, and share my experiences, I’m doing a disservice to my community by not educating and speaking up about racism faced by Asians, not just the black community.
We need to be taking ACTION, it’s not enough to just sit there and post about anti racism, we need to learn, unlearn. In this post, i’ll be sharing a ton of resources and reading for you to be able to read up and learn more about racism in the black community in the US and also how you can speak up against racial discrimination.
Black Creatives On Instagram:
SeventhAndGray – Incredibly talented, branding and web designer who’s also a mother to 3 kids, wife and business owner, she’s such an inspiration to many business owners. @seventhandgray on Instagram
Ronke, ThePinkCreative – I’m actually working with Ronke who’s based in Texas on some digital design collateral for some of our new services launching in the next few months, her entire instagram feed and design aesthetic is what completely drew me to reach out to work with her! @thepinkcreative on Instagram
Melissa , Sweetdaddydesigns on Instagram , Branding & Strategy.
Viola Davis – I mean need I say more? An award-winning actress, I fell in Annalise Keating when I started watching How To Get Away With Murder. A character actress that has made such a huge impact with her performance on HTGAWM & POC’s.
Any HTAGWM fans out there? 🙋🏻♀️
There are a ton of black female creatives out there, but I could honestly go on forever.
Not forgetting, my own IG TV series 4 part series i’ve done this week, talking about my experiences of Asian racism in western countries. Having lived in Australia, being treated rudely by customs officers in the airport at tax refund counters, unfair treatment at Lululemon Westfield London, hotels and being treated like third class while the white women were being served first.
My entire IG TV series here.
I should not have to defend myself against my actions but I feel the need to stand up, educate and bring to light these topics.
(Design by @jane_mount on Instagram)
Books You Can Read
- Black Feminist Thought by Patricia Hill Collins⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Dr. Brittney Cooper⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- When Affirmative Action Was White: An Untold History of Racial Inequality in Twentieth-Century America by Ira Katznelson⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
You can find the entire list of books and resources in this google doc.
Almost all of these books are available on Audible which means you don’t have to wait for the books to ship and listen to the audio recordings!
Shows, Documentaries and Ted Talks you can watch
When They See Us – Netflix – “Five teens from Harlem become trapped in a nightmare when they’re falsely accused of a brutal attack in Central Park. Based on the true story”
What happens when I try to talk race with white people – YouTube – Insightful short video ft Renni Eddo-Lodge (author of Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race) perfectly summarises the issue when talking about racism to white people.
White People, Enough: A Look at Power and Control | Jaelyn Coates | TEDxCSU
Let’s get to the root of racial injustice | Megan Ming Francis | TEDxRainier
Not all Superheros wear capes-how you have the power to change the world | Nova Reid | TEDxFrankfurt
Credit to Zoe Sugg’s post
Dr Dharius Daniel’s 8 min sermon on racism & His podcast on Spotify that really spoke volumes to me.
God called us the salt of the earth, the light of the world, until we get this right. We will not regain our influence in culture and society. We need more of The Holy Spirit we’ve been preaching let’s us ignores blood shed on the streets. May we receive that holy spirit. May we be salt and light so that we can make a difference in the world
Majority of my racism resources have evolved from visiting Europe and UK.
We CANNOT wait until another Asian or Black person gets hurt to start taking action. Speak up, tell someone. Do not keep it to yourself. Because racism should never have to be an option and should not be allowed.
“Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization.”
Mahatma Gandhi
Change must happen, and it needs to happen NOW, justice is not served until every race, skin colour is treated equally. As Singaporeans we always pledge ourselves as one united people, regardless of race, language or religion. I’m proud to be born in a country that values inclusiveness and diversity.
I will not stop until my voice has been heard by everyone , Asians do not deserve to be treated differently or looked down upon.
Stay safe everyone.
