3 minute read
A conversation on race and justice
Earlier this year the Atlantic Fellows for Racial Equity, the Atlantic Institute and our sister programs collectively issued a Call to Action to address racial injustice. As noted then, the brutal and senseless killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery — as well as the less well publicized deaths of Collins Khoza and Tony McDade — reignited global anguish, anger and action. Millions of people around the world took to the streets to protest the systemic failure to see, value and protect Black lives. Those deaths and many more since — along with the global health and economic disparities revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic — are painful reminders that anti-Black racism renders Black lives disposable.
As an international community of social justice leaders from more than 60 countries, the full global community of Atlantic Fellows and programs are united in challenging anti-Black racism in all its forms. Fellows and staff mobilized in many ways to amplify existing anti-racism work and collaborate, reflect and act in more collective ways across the community.
The Institute hosted an online event, “A Conversation on Race and Justice”, for Atlantic Fellows and staff, led by Joedrecka Brown, Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity US + Global; Betsy Hodges and Busisiwe Dlamini, Atlantic Fellows for Racial Equity; Maureen Sigauke, Atlantic Fellow for Social and Economic Equity; Lance Louskieter, Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity in South Africa; and Janine Mohamed, Atlantic Fellow for Social Equity. It was an important conversation not only for healing and processing but also for moving toward collective action.
The 2019 cohort of Atlantic Fellows for Racial Equity wrote a powerful statement, reminding us all that the work to achieve racial equity requires a daily commitment.
The Atlantic Institute is committed to modeling the work for systemic change that we expect and support in our community. In particular, we aim at lifting up and legitimizing the voices of Black people and ways of knowing, being and doing in everything that we engage in.
BLACK ‘N’ COVID
By Richard Wallace, Atlantic Fellow for Racial Equity
Oh, here he go again being extra Guess I’m just tired of playing Tetris Shape-shifting, spinning on my back So racism doesn’t catch us Poor Aubrey During a pandemic that stole loved ones At arms reach Reminds me of I c-c- c-c-can’t breath Lord, can we have a moment with you please? We’ve been hanging from trees Since we got here On the bottom of boats Shackled to our elders as they rot there If there was ever a moment to show yourself It was right there A hundred years later And we, right there As jail cells turn into electric chairs If COVID’s there The spook that sat by the door Heard plans of war, a war like no other When Queen became bitch and nigger replaced brother Where race is used to other The able disabled others Mothers shackled at birth Give birth to children in shackles from it The trauma, worn like armour Armour, armour, amma savage Amma, amma, amma monster Opposed to Amma asylum-seeker my parents were taken from us Don’t tell me you didn’t hear Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland, our Laquan That you didn’t see Trayvon Martin murdered on that lawn The list goes on and on And on and on My grandmother told me stories about you Told me to never doubt you, so I don’t I’m praying that you end it But I’ll settle for some hope Please show us a sign Signed Black ‘n’ COVID
