Matter is the Minimum
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Matter is the Minimum
#BLM
““Matter is the minimum. Black lives are worthy. Black lives are beloved. Black lives are needed””
If you support the Black lives matter movement then continuous action is required from you. Having a black friend doesn’t make you an ally. Reading one book or taking one anti-black racism course won’t help you unlearn years of problematic behaviour. Posting random Black models on your social media means nothing if you’re not revising your overall business practices.
Then there were those black squares…
“Let’s not turn Black lives matters into Black lives marketing”
Tuesday, June 2, 2020, we saw millions of black squares flood our social media timelines as the world rallied together in solidarity against anti-black racism and police brutality. I felt proud and encouraged to see such high engagement on a issue that I feel so strongly about. Plus, Black Out Tuesday has started so much healthy dialogue and has been a catalyst for some of the change we are starting to see now.
However, in addition to the positive shifts, we saw lots of performative activism.
Here is an example of performative activism that affected me directly:
If you’ve been following me, you know that I have been a Titika Active ambassador for years. Recently I have been partnering with them for a quarantine social media campaign. I am the only Black creator on the team of influencers and although (till this day) one of my video’s has had the highest engagement, my content has only been featured twice.
Moving on, Titika was also one of the many brands that posted a black square on their social feeds… but guess what they did after that to show their support for Black lives? The answer is nothing.
Based on the general tone of their social media and the fact that I was the 1 of 3 Black faces that were seen on their social media since Dec. 2019, I knew I should observe their action after their “stance” on Black Out Tuesday. Since days later they were silent about #BLM I decided to message Titika in their IG comments; the screen shot of my question is below. They responded with the most disappointing response followed by immediately posting an unsolicited photo of my friend Julia to prove they are “making a difference” and amplifying black voices. The nerve. She let them have it though, read entire post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CBJMD-Bhtma/
Only after being publicly called out by Julia I received an email from a Titika representative - acknowledging their response may have been offensive (among other things). I sent them a response on June 9th being very transparent about my experience with the brand and how they could be more inclusive. I have yet to receive a response… and by the looks of their social media, it doesn’t look I’ll be getting one. They have gone right back to their old behaviour and have yet to acknowledge that they are against anti-black racism, value Black lives, or value their Black team members, clients or staff.
I share this story for a few reasons:
To demonstrate the level of bullsh*t Black women have to deal with behind the scenes (all the time).
To highlight what performative activism could look like.
Because we must hold people accountable. Even if there’s a risk attached - will you lose a job or friend? Maybe? …but at the end of the day, what’s right is right, and what’s wrong is wrong.
This generation will not remain silent! We cannot turn a blind eye to bad behaviour. NO MORE!
#BLM is more than a hashtag, it’s a movement. If we are a society that truly wants change, we must look inward and look at our surroundings to truly identify where to do the work. Take a look at the brands that you support. Celebrities you admire. Stores that you shop at. Your friendship circles. Your family at the dinner table. Are they for or against anti-black racism and police brutality?
…now take a look at yourself.
How are you contributing to the change you want to see in the world?
How are you making life brighter for the future generation? Will your current actions put you on the right side of history or the problematic side?
Look around you, then look within. How are you showing up right now? How are you contributing to one of the biggest civil rebellions this world has ever seen.
At first, I had a hard time with this, but the framework below helped guide me tremendously.
My role in the rebellion: A CAREGIVER.
I nurture & nourish the people around me by creating & sustaining a community of care, joy & connection. Carnival Spice has allowed me to complete much of this work. Here is how it began.
For over 5 years as a commercial dancer in Toronto, Canada, I was met with many challenges while gigging, teaching & training. For instance, I lost count of the number of audition castings that were looking for "Female 18-24 Caucasian". IF an "Open Ethnicity" came up, there were hundreds of women trying out for the one available spot. I yearned for community. In most cases, I was always the only black girl booked. Cue the microaggressions, folks trying to touch my hair, & the make up artists not having a foundation in my colour. This hurt & I often wondered why the industry was like this - what could I do to help? I loved what I was doing but often could not relate to many people in the room. It was lonely. Eventually I built the courage to create a community of my own.
@CarnivalSpice was born in 2013. I created the company to showcase Caribbean Carnival, its culture & its performing artists. It has become a platform where aspiring artists of Caribbean descent can further develop their talents, have access to paid work opportunity & gain support from others in the industry. This type of work is often met with resistance & stereotypes. However, as a collective, we’ve broken so many boundaries & showed up in spaces where “people like us aren’t suppose to be” - reaching thousands over the years through our social media, programming & performances. Education, connection & representation is the ultimate goal.
When you see a Black woman start a business, know that it took a lot for her to make that happen.
We don’t learn our history in schools. We don’t see ourselves represented on television or magazines. We are silenced in the board rooms.
We are hugely under served in a plethora of markets, rarely credited for brilliant ideas, paid less than our lighter colleagues, misunderstood, ignored & often disrespected.
STILL WE ARE RESILIENT. We are leaders, innovators, nurturers, advocates for change, critical thinkers, trend setters & so much more.
Black women are also six times more likely to start a business. We see a need & fill it. We make space that isn’t available to us. We create our own peace & transformative energy. Usually our own cheerleaders, we push ourselves to achieve our dreams… not just because we want to but because we have to.
It’s been said that if you aren’t offered a seat at the table, then BUILD YOUR OWN TABLE! That’s what I had to do. That’s what we had to do.
Looking back, when I started my business, I was scared & didn’t know what I was doing. What I did know is that my purpose was bigger than my fear so I had to at least try.
To my fellow Black female entrepreneurs, I see you, I feel you, I love you. Continue to rise.
