I’ve been thinking over the past few days that perhaps the phrase ‘listening and learning’, which I’ve used myself, might be at risk of feeling a little tone deaf. As in, how much more do we need to hear? Of course, change starts with listening and learning, but it occurred to me that as well intentioned as this approach is, it might be helpful if we started with why or what we haven’t been hearing until now.
For me, what I’ve heard in the past days is the difference between not being a racist and actively being an anti-racist. What I’ve been learning is the complacency of thinking that I’m one of the good guys and the gap between my beliefs and my actions.
I’m trying to educate myself to become a better comrade and to follow through. I wanted to thank everyone who’s been sharing resources and information on how to do this, that’s one of the great things about social media. One of the most powerful things I read yesterday was the Uluru Statement from the Heart’ which outlines the path forward for recognising Indigenous Australians in the the constitution. You can read it here:
https://ulurustatement.org/the-statement
Hope everyone’s taking care of themselves,
Love
Jamie x