Issue №47 | 8 June 2020 | ‘Restless’
Issue №47 | 8 June 2020 | ‘Restless’
This week has been a week of shutting the hell up and listening to the black voices around us. In our own small circles of influence, we have the power to promote these voices, and we haven’t been doing enough.
Our history lessons throughout school were littered with modules on race relations in the United States, and the books we studied in English were set in America during the Jim Crow era. There was never a focus on England’s colonialist past and the lasting effect our enduring racial biases have had on black Britons. Is there any wonder the racism in British society is so implicit?
We’ve spent so long pointing the finger at the US, separating ourselves from what we see over the pond and perceiving our society as being much more advanced. It’s not. Colourblindness is not a solution. Saying ‘we don’t see race’ is not helpful, it’s damaging. We all have a heck of a lot to learn.
In this issue, we’ve still got some of our usual frivolous bits of fun, but we’ve also recommended some really important things to read and listen to that we’ve found to be incredibly helpful in trying to understand how our society is flawed and how we can advocate for change. Learn with us. Alex and Freya
What Freya has been up to this week: Rereading Reni Eddo-Lodge’s Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race. I suggest you all do the same. It’s based on this article for the Guardian, if you want a taster.
What Alex has been up to this week: Started watching the BBC3 adaptation of Sally Rooney’s Normal People.
Hear
A playlist…
This week our SoundsGood. playlist is centred around the music of black artists, past and present, who have all made, in some shape or form, powerful protest music.
To provide all-important context, we’ve written a few words on each song and highlighted standout lyrics. Let’s listen and educate ourselves. Alex
A podcast…
Self Processing: Frosted Flakes
The New York Times culture podcast is one of the most underrated out there. In this episode, hosts Jenna Wortham and Wesley Morris explore the double standards exposed in Netflix phenomenon Tiger King.
Why is white criminality always glamourised? If Joe Exotic was a black man, would he have been awarded a Netflix show and the chance for people to hear his origin story? White criminals are humanised; they are allowed to be people, rather than pariahs.
‘White people are the only ones who get to have fun while committing crimes’, says Wortham. ‘Normally when you see black criminals, they come in one flavour. And that is drug dealer,’ Morris adds. ‘And with white criminals, it’s more about who the criminal is. You get to know them. It’s a character study before it’s a procedural.’ Freya
Read
A book…
Afua Hirsch’s blend of memoir, reportage and social commentary is an investigation into black British identity from the intersection of race and privilege. Coming from mixed cultural heritage and growing up in an affluent area of London, Hirsch describes how she developed coping strategies to make herself seem more ‘palatable’ to the white people around her.
‘I’ve been conditioned in the art of English manners… where you learn to send the subliminal message: Don’t worry about the fact that I’m black, I won’t make you feel uncomfortable. I was an expert in turning myself into what the world around me seemed to want me to be — black, but not in any way disruptive.’
She unpicks the British tendency towards non-confrontation and surface-level politeness, which has become intrinsically linked to the racial blindness our nation has helped us convince ourselves that we live in a post-racial world.
‘There is still race, and there is still racism. Denying it does not solve the problem, it creates further problems. It assumes that seeing race is something bad, that perhaps to admit to seeing race is to embark on the slippery slope towards racism.’ Freya
An article…
Black Erasure in the British Food Industry by Melissa Thompson
Our food industry is propped up by migrant workers and people of colour, and yet we only pay lip service to these individuals and their communities when we want to appropriate their cuisines and food culture. Something has to change.
This piece by food writer Melissa Thompson draws attention to the erasure of black people in the food industry and blatant racism that is used by critics and food writers such as Giles Coren. Thompson’s critique opened my eyes to the microaggressions and more significant prejudices that are at play within all aspects of British culture. It’s a fascinating read. Freya
Freebies and dates for your diary
New York-based Sky Ting Yoga is offering one month free access to their yoga programme online. Use code 1MONTHWING. Offer ends 31 July.
A round-up of upcoming virtual events to do from home…
Ongoing:
Noteworthy Women at the Bank of England: An online exhibition about the women who have appeared on, designed and made Bank of England notes. You’ll come away learning a surprising amount…
Catch up:
At home with… Bernardine Evaristo: The author of Girl, Woman, Other, winner of the 2019 Booker Prize hosted last week’s Penguin Live, in which she shares tips on finding creativity during lockdown and the books that have been keeping her company.
Tuesday:
8pm: Has lockdown increased the domestic load on women? with Helen Lewis, author of Difficult Women: A History of Feminism in 11 Fights. Tickets here, from £3.
Wednesday/Thursday:
At 11am and 5pm on both Wednesday and Thursday, repair specialist Emily Settle is hosting a knitwear darning workshop with clothing brand Toast. Tickets and donations here.
Cribs of the Week
This gorgeous Australian weatherboard house is light, vibrant and characterful. With retro fittings and bare wood flooring throughout, this is a house furnished primarily from flea markets, creating a spectacular hodgepodge of influences.
Clayton Windmills, West Sussex
Yes, this is a 19th-century windmill connected to a converted granary and mill house. If that wasn’t enough of a temptation, the clash of traditional and modern textures and materials is sure to tickle your fancy.
The interior decor might leave something to be desired, but the view of undulating hills and rich tapestry of fields make for quite the lockdown dream.
#Capitalism
Freya now has blue hair. Nothing goes with it, colour-wise. So she’s wearing a lot of monochrome hues. This dress is next. And it’s a bargain.
This week, Alex has indulged with his housemates and ordered numerous hot sauces. If you’re a self-confessed hot head, try this killer barbecue chipotle sauce.
Odds and Ends
You know you’ve watched too many press briefings when you find this funny.
Attn: AQA, Edexcel, OCR.
This is more obvious than ever during lockdown.
