Black and Irish Voices
Conor Kelly continues the Black Lives Matter discussion, reflecting on the summer protests and speaking to Femi Bankole, an organiser from the influential Black & Irish Instagram page, to find out what the view is among Black activists on how Ireland is changing.
On the 1st of June at least 6000 people came together at the GPO for a demonstration to grieve and show their support for George Floyd, a black man who died on the 25th of May after a white police officer kept his knee on his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. This protest triggered a wave of discussion and education about the presence of racism across the world. Ireland is no different. Six months on, it’s crucial that social issues are not treated as trends and left to fade, but to continue these discussions and ensure that we keep up the fight against injustice. As someone who is not black or a person of colour or a member of the Traveller community, I have never faced racism. I think this article should focus on the people who have.
@remylebeau_ at the Black Lives Matter march in Dublin by @ot5sim
I speak to Femi Bankole, a member and organiser of the Black and Irish Instagram page that highlights and encourages members of the Black Irish community to tell their stories and experiences of racism and discrimination in Irish society.
The Instagram page was set up by three friends and has gained nearly 50 thousand followers since the beginning of June.
"The aim of the Black and Irish is a social media platform for discussing and highlighting the struggles and successes of the Black Irish Community. We want to bring debate and leadership to the community by championing inclusion, celebrating diversity and promoting equality."
I had to ask Femi about something that had bothered me. Leo Varadkar had reposted a story from the Black and Irish Instagram page. What did Femi think about Varadkar and his administration’s efforts to combat racism in Ireland? Femi replied,
"I don’t think combating racism has been at the forefront of this government’s agenda. I’ve personally seen nothing in the past few years in terms of campaigns or initiatives to combat racism. We feel this is something the government can do better on.
A common trend amongst the stories we’ve curated is that people had a large number of their racial encounters in primary and secondary school. This points to two things: a lack of appropriate training and resources for the teachers to actively combat racism and a lack of a diverse curriculum to help educate students on racial history, heritage and culture of Africans and Asians."
Does Femi think racism in Ireland is getting worse?
"I think the important question is: do I think Ireland is a racist country? – in my opinion, no. Does Ireland have racist people in it? – yes. Being ‘not as bad’ as other countries in terms of racism is not acceptable, we must aim to be better. We can eradicate racism."
Photo by @ot5sim
A key idea from the recent resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement is the importance of listening to black people and people of colour and talking about the sometimes-difficult subject of racism. I asked Femi why he thought it is essential to speak to friends and family about racism even if you're not black or a person of colour? And how can we support and empower the anti-racism movement?
"It is imperative to talk about and be vocal about these issues for a multitude of reasons. Speaking out, challenging obscure opinions and having progressive conversations is the only way forward. People need to be comfortable expressing their views regardless of how ‘wrong’ they can be perceived. Once they’ve expressed these opinions in a safe environment, then only can we begin to delve into the issue and work on changing the opinion."
And how can people support Black and Irish in telling the stories of racism?
"Well for one, you can follow the page and share the stories with your friends and families.
There is no way as a human being; you can read the stories and not empathise with someone being victimised for the colour of their skin, something they have no control over."
I thought the way Femi put this issue was a great way to understand the hardship that is faced people of colour. I’m grateful to him for helping to educate me on the importance of sharing and empowering the voice of people who are at risk. When we talk about how we can support people who are at risk of all kinds of social injustice, like racism, there are several practical and vital approaches.
We can share correct and backed-up information. We can take action and donate to charities. Educate ourselves on the issues that affect disadvantaged groups. Understand the boundaries for when you need to stop and give someone who is affected by the problems a voice. Connect with people who you can help, whether they are a social justice group or campaign. Take care not to underrepresent people who are affected by social injustice. Look after each other and yourself. If I have learned anything as an activist, the most important thing when you finish your day of campaigning is that you are taking care of your own mental and physical health.
I would encourage readers to donate to the Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland to tackle Direct Provision, the most direct form of racist oppression here in Ireland. If you have been affected by any of the issues talked about in this article, please contact the below supports:
- Immigrant Council of Ireland: Anti-Racism Hotline [01 674 0200]
- MASI (Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland)- +353 83 1713 166 or info@masi.ie
- Irish Refugee Council- +353 1 764 5854 or info@irishrefugeecouncil.ie
Follow the Black and Irish Instagram page to hear about the struggles & successes of the Black & Mixed Race Irish community.
Conor Kelly
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