PASSING COMMENT
By Sue Vincent Jones
Time to stand up against racism
Last Sunday saw me board the battle bus to take a trip with like-minded locals to represent our diverse town at the Stand Up to Racism March in Cardiff.
Super to see so many Barrians still taking a stand against inequality nearly two years after hundreds huddled up on King Square to show their solidarity with our racially diverse residents in the aftermath of the George Floyd killing.
Remember that bright, breezy day in June, right in the first throws of the pandemic, when we did the Black Matters Live protest properly, purposely and peacefully.
Seeing the scores of rallying residents gather on our most famous landmark to stand with our brave Barrians who have fought, both slyly subtle, and boldly blatant, racism all their lives was instantly inspiring and undoubtedly uplifting.
For me, the most powerful moment came when a respected speaker and activist asked all who had experienced any form of racism in the Vale of Glamorgan to step to the front – and every single, black attendee did.
Read that again.
Solid proof that there is still a long way to go in the fight for ensuring Black Lives Matter in Barry and beyond. And credit to the Vale Council for setting up a taskforce to tackle some of these issues through actively listening to the lived experience of our ethnic minority locals.
Not going to lie to you though, it doesn’t hurt to give the local authority a gentle nudge every now and again, does it?
All us activists know that sometimes you just have to keep it on the low, stay on track, and crack on quietly, to get the right result.
But now is the time to scream strongly from the rooftops, protest peacefully in the streets, and stand up squarely to fight for the fairer society for our future generations.
Our very own Vale branch of Stand Up to Racism is in the forefront of the campaign.
I signed up straight away of course, and will be protesting peacefully, signing petitions, rocking up to many a meeting, taking the knee and pressuring politicians
Truth be told, staying silent, standing by, or just sitting at home, is not the answer that’s needed now – real action, real activism, real visibility, and real change is.
Now is the time for be actively anti-racist.
Come join me.
• The views expressed by columnists of this newspaper do not necessarily reflect the views of the Glamorgan Star, its employees, or proprietors.
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