Dear Leila, you came to mind as I was looking through one of my Wasafiri Mags where you wrote a review of my anthology Brown Eyes. I thought I would look you up as I’m on the final term of a Culture Diaspora Ethnicity MA at Birkbeck College. One thing led to another and voila I found your very comprehensive and informative presentation. 😊👌🏽
Judy Richards - you are right, Reparations are an important part of a discussion of anti-Black racism. Thank you for pointing out this oversight. I will think further on this as part of how thinking about Reparations integrates into anti-racist action that we can all participate in.
Michelle Selman - checking my own biases is ongoing work, and something I (and everyone) needs to stay alert to in anti-racist struggle. Yes sometimes my ego gets triggered, and I try my best to be present with that in myself, and not to speak from a triggered place. I always work to speak from a place where I am willing to learn.
Judy Richards - I mentioned 'mixed' people very much in passing and did not go into this because of time constraints. In fact in my mind it was first and foremost a way to situate myself in the discourse, as a mixed person, but not of African descent. I would say that for Black mixed people, of course as individuals I would hope that they would feel free to choose whether they identify better with 'Black' or 'mixed', whether they benefit from white privilege at all, and to discover for themselves whether they have any anti-racist work to do, or whether they will benefit best from seeking Black safe spaces. I am currently reading Natalie Morris's book 'Mixed/Other', which is making me think about my mixed identity in interesting new ways. Mixed people (of any mix) may have unique insights in anti-racist work.
Michelle Selman - the personal cost of my published work? Well none of us in these disciplines get paid to publish, so just blood, sweat and tears I guess! But I find it personally hugely rewarding also.
Michelle Selman - my book is entitled 'The Cultural Memory of Africa in African American and Black British Fiction, 1970-2000'. It's published by Palgrave Macmillan, 2016.
Judy Richards - I want to understand this comment better: "The 1948 Windrush people were not invited. They objected to being demobbed and paid their own fares to return." Can you point me toward resources please?
Michelle Selman - yes, sometimes I am affected by the traumatic materials I study. I try to lead a balanced lifestyle where I allow myself to process my feelings and reactions to such material. There have been moments when I was teaching this stuff in institutions, though, where I was under such pressure within the job that there was no space to be really mindful around the traumatic impact of the work. And that puts one in a difficult place - not recommended!
I want to respond to some of the questions in the chat that I didn't get to live. Jerry Oz - yes I do think Brexit is an expression of white supremacy.
