“Often It’s The Small Things That Really Hurt”: Julia Sarr-Jamois On The Myriad Manifestations Of Racism

I first saw the George Floyd video on social media. It kept coming up on my feed. I couldn’t really watch the whole thing, it made me feel so disgusted. I have spent the week on the phone talking to my black friends, many of whom have described feelings of devastation. The sadness feels overwhelming. I’ve cried a lot this week.

Something that really upsets me is when people say “racism isn’t as bad here in the UK”. Racism is happening here, and it has been happening here for years. It might feel a little more under-the-surface in some ways – but often it’s the sly, small things that really dig at you. And, if you do speak up about those things as a black woman, you often are branded with the “angry black woman” trope.

I still experience racist acts all the time, particularly when travelling. I remember going to Tuscany with a group of friends a few years ago. We flew into a very small airport, and the airport security staff pulled me and another of the group, who was also black, aside and searched our bags, asking if we had drugs on us. They didn’t do that to anyone else on the whole plane, except a white man who had dreadlocks.

It feels very strange to me that in a global pandemic – when seemingly everything has changed – that some things just don’t change, and that’s racism. Education is so important. I remember learning about Ancient Egypt at school, and it was never referred to as part of Africa. For a long time, I thought it was in Europe. Schools need to stamp out systemic racism at a young age. And businesses need to provide training.

In terms of fashion, it’s not enough just to have black faces in campaigns. Black faces need to have a voice behind the scenes as well. It needs to be ingrained in the company culture. It shouldn’t be tokenistic. We also need to correct racist attitudes when we hear them – even if it’s a snide comment, something said behind closed doors. It’s important to stand up for what’s right even when it’s something small. Because it all builds up.

You are shameless. Now. You suddenly decide to bombard us with all the beautiful black women you’ve marginalised. Now. Hypocrites virtuesignalling BlackLivesMatterUK BLMLondon

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