Black Lives Matter isn’t an Instagram trend, it’s a commitment to justice. And it’s not just a moment, but a movement that will never not be important.
In Ep. 21 of Season 2, we sit down with Eman Idil Bare to discuss her bouts with racism beginning at such a young age, anti-blackness in the media and what we can do to help push the BLM movement beyond our dinner table discussions.
Micro-aggressions are more than just insults or insensitive comments. They are the thinly veiled, everyday instances of racism that you see in the world. And as Eman explains, it’s something that she had to deal with all of her life. She talks about how a visit to the hair salon for a quick cut taught her about racism at a young age, and how those micro-aggressions even followed her to law school.
The media can be racist at times and that’s no surprise. There has been many instances of this through the reporting of the murder of George Floyd, the protest and countless situations just like this one. Eman also digs into her time working in a newsroom, and moments she was subjected to stereotypes, racism and the lack of opportunities she was given as a reporter compared to her white counterparts. We discuss what needs to be done in order to get back to the basics of journalism: reporting the unfiltered truth.
No matter how open-minded you think you are, or socially conscious you may be, we all have a responsibility to check our privilege everyday. We must learn to unlearn our own biases, and although it maybe uncomfortable, it’s our duty to do the same to those around us. We discuss ways to help push the purpose of the BLM movement beyond just hashtags and conversations. Eman tells us what we can do in order to do better for the Black community.
We also want to mention that often-times the mental health of the Black community goes unchecked. And much more than often, the Black community isn’t given the same opportunity to heal from their trauma, since they are constantly reliving it and experiencing one traumatic event after the next. We talk about what we can do as allies to bring focus to the well being of those in the black community.
This is a cause that isn't going away, it's a battle we will continue to fight until justice is served.
Enjoy and remember to follow us on Instagram: @unsweetenedandunfiltered
Follow Eman on Instagram: @emanidil