On the 25th February 2020, Ahmaud Arbery, a black man, was shot dead in the middle of the day by two white men (a retired policeman and his son). As I scrolled through instagram in the days that the incident “went viral” on social media, I read post after post from white influencers and friends professing their outrage and urging us to #sayhisname. Instead of feeling bolstered by this act of solidarity, I found myself feeling angry and afraid.
I found myself thinking — you’re here now, but where are you the other 364 days a year when anti-racism isn’t trending. When racism isn’t tucked safely behind the screen in your hand, but in front of your face?
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Performative allyship is deadly
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On the 25th February 2020, Ahmaud Arbery, a black man, was shot dead in the middle of the day by two white men (a retired policeman and his son). As I scrolled through instagram in the days that the incident “went viral” on social media, I read post after post from white influencers and friends professing their outrage and urging us to #sayhisname. Instead of feeling bolstered by this act of solidarity, I found myself feeling angry and afraid. I found myself thinking — you’re here now, but where are you the other 364 days a year when anti-racism isn’t trending. When racism isn’t tucked safely behind the screen in your hand, but in front of your face?