Black Woman Staring into distance with Black Lives Matter sticker in sky - Arkadina.com Black Lives Matter post image

I’ve been a little quiet on here since my promise to return full throttle at the end of a hectic Camp NaNoWriMo in April. And, as you can see, I haven’t.

With everything blowing up in the world right now, I wanted to take some time to listen, learn and take stock in silence. How should I proceed with this little site in the light of the horrors going on all around the world but especially for the black community?

It seems such a tiny and inconsequential webpage, (mainly because it is) but I’m also aware that everyone one of you who kindly takes a moment to visit this site and maybe read this is a beautiful gift and I owe you not only gratitude for that but also transparency and honesty.

Firstly, and always, BLACK LIVES MATTER. period.

I have always thought of myself as not racist. It’s been a fundamental part of my identity for as long as I can remember.

Waking up and realising things I should I have seen decades ago is uncomfortable and coupled with something that shakes a persons identity it becomes doubly hard. But also doubly vital. And a few feelings are nothing compared to the daily life experiences of people of colour.

Realising that I should I have been more active promoting content of BAME creators. I should have seen that clicking away in disgust at racist comments online is a silence that helps perpetuate the hatred. You needed me not to ‘not be racist’ but to be an anti-racist. And I wasn’t. I’m deeply and truly sorry for all the hurt I’ve caused.

I’m taking steps towards being a better ally; a stronger and more vocal anti-racist both when I encounter it online and in real life.

Along with signing petitions, donating to causes that need help, amplifying black voices on my social media and actively searching out black writers, directors and actors in my favourite genres, I am also examining my own biases and blind spots as I continue to learn.

I want to get this right. I know that I’ve got it wrong too many times in the past and there are probably errors and insensitivities in this. For that I apologise. It’s like a perception filter has been lifted and I’m seeing the world as it truly is for the first time. And there’s so much work to do to build a better world.

If you’re looking for more resources online, I think Black Lives Matter carrd is a great place to start.

Or check out my shop’s instagram, ArcadeArkadina*, where I share a resource or historical fact daily as I learn. They’re all collected under my ✊🏿BLM highlights.

Feel free to share your favourite anti-racist resources in the comments and, for my non black friends, tell me how you’re tackling your unconscious biases?

*not linked because I want this to be about the much needed revolution and nothing else.