Photos: Lorin Gannon.
The brutal killing of George Floyd at the hands of a policeman in Minneapolis last week has prompted outrage, justifiable anger, protests as Black Lives Matter solidarity campaigns that have echoed around the world.
This past Monday, at least 5000 people, while largely maintaining social distancing, marched on the streets of Dublin to show their solidarity with George Floyd, the many others who have been killed at the hands of the police in America and the Black Lives Matter movement.
No longer does the movement feel foreign. Black Irish people are speaking up about inequality, racism and the problems we have that reflect those inequalities in our own country, starting with Direct Provision.
What follows is a selection of some of the Black Irish creative voices who have shared their pain, grief, anger, trauma and thoughts. Now is the time for those we respect and feature here to speak. So listen.
Instead of our regular podcast, you will hear, in this order – the voices from the protesters on Monday along with words of Black Irish musicians and creatives Erica Cody, Loah, Denise Chaila and Amanda Ade. Their comments are taken from their Instagram posts this week – edited only for brevity for this podcast. Their intentions and meaning in their words remain the same.
In the episode’s show notes you’ll find Andrea Cleary’s suggested reading lists and the list of organisations you can donate to.
The next planned Black Lives Matter Protest takes place this Saturday June 6th at the Embassy in Dublin. Please attend only if it is safe for you to do so and wear a mask at all times while maintaining social distancing. 2 metre distancing will be marked on the ground at the Embassy. The organisers are also asking if you do attend to show solidarity, then you should self-isolate for 14 days.
Now isn’t the time for this podcast to speak. Now is the time for us to listen.
Subscribe to the podcast and please leave a review on iTunes, tell your friends or commit to supporting us directly. Support us on Patreon.
Organisations / Pages to Donate to:
Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland (MASI)
Go Fund Me – Direct Provision during CoronaVirus
Reading list – link if updated.
Hi all, Andrea here. I’m creating this reading list that will hopefully be a starting point for useful allyship. This list is not exhaustive, and I encourage you to share what you read widely, do not purchase from Amazon, and use these tools to start conversations.
I would love to hear your suggestions too. Find me @andreacleary_ on twitter.
To our Black listeners, and all the Black artists we have interviewed, reviewed and featured on the show, you have our love and support and commitment to do better.
Love,
Andrea
Books
- Why I’m No Longer Speaking To White People About Race – Reni Eddo-Lodge
- FATAL INVENTION: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-create Race in the Twenty-First Century – Dorothy Roberts
- The Autobiography of Malcolm X – Malcolm X
- Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism – Bell Hooks
- The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House – Audre Lorde
- A list of free resources (includes some of the above)
Black Music Books
- Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America – Tricia Rose
- The Games Black Girls Play: Learning the Ropes from Double-Dutch to Hip-Hop – Kyra Gaunt
- Black Music– Amiri Baraka
- The Hip Hop Wars: What We Talk About When We Talk About Hip Hop and Why It Matters – Tricia Rose
- Ripping Off Black Music (Singles Classic) – Margo Jefferson
- Jazz and Justice: Racism and the Political Economy of the Music – Gerald Horne
Black music documentaries
- Homecoming (Beyoncé)
- Quincy
- What Happened Miss Simone?
- Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami
- T’Ain’t Nobody’s Bizness: Queer Blues Divas of the 1920s
Another Reading and Watching List posted on Twitter by Grainne Kelly.
Previous podcasts in this series are listed here.
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