Our Writers Recommend... (06/06/20)

ARTICLE: How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change- Barack Obama

https://medium.com/@BarackObama/how-to-make-this-moment-the-turning-point-for-real-change-9fa209806067

Barack Obama writes this article clearly and succinctly while projecting information in an accessible and empathetic tone. The strain of peaceful action and protest run throughout the article and he breaks down ways in which we can bring about change through both ‘protests and politics’. As well as this, he links an advocacy toolkit and a link to a page on his website which directs you to organisations who have ‘been fighting the good fight...for years.’ He writes the article in a controlled and calm manner, yet it still has an ever-important strong driving force and he credits the work of activists that has been done so far.

​Amy Knowles

DOCUMENTARY: 13th directed by Ava DuVernay (the first black woman to be nominated for Best Director at the 2014 Golden Globes for Selma).

13th is a documentary directed by Academy Award-nominated director Ava DuVernay, which explores the history of African Americans since the abolition of slavery in 1865 and the view that mass-incarceration has replaced slavery in the United States. As someone who knows very little about American politics and the strong role racism plays it in, this documentary was revelatory on issues such as racism within the American Constitution (where the name of the documentary originates), the 1984 Truth In Sentencing Act and ‘the War on Drugs’, first coined by President Nixon in the 1970s, and the role that played in the association of African Americans with drug use and petty crimes. The documentary focuses on highly controversial cases such as the Central Park Five and the murder of 17-year-old Treyvon Martin to highlight the complete integration of racial discrimination in American politics and policies. The documentary also focuses on the role ALEC (The American Legislative Exchange Council) plays, and to what extent security companies who continue to financially benefit from mass incarceration in the US, have a key hand in the writing of legislation which ensures that their prisons are filled by black Americans.

Abby Gilchrist
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ALBUM: Dirty Computer - Janelle Monáe

In my opinion, Janelle Monáe is one of the most criminally underrated artists in the industry, and her most recent album Dirty Computer (2018) is similarly overlooked. Not only does it feature consistent bops, but it is also deeply personal, granting the listener an insight into the black, queer, female experience in America. Even her more upbeat songs, such as ‘Crazy, Classic, Life’ and ‘Americans’, are highly political in content, discussing the inequalities she has experienced in America due to her gender, pansexuality and race. Indeed, songs such as ‘So Afraid’ and ‘Don’t Judge Me’ resonate strongly with the ideals of the Black Lives Matter movement and illustrate how pervasive and pejorative an effect systemic racism, inequality and discrimination have on people of colour. In light of the current Black Lives Matter protests, it is more important than ever for us to uplift black voices in society, and by extension in the arts, particularly when they vocalise experiences and struggles which white people such as myself will never truly be able to understand.

Rory McKeon

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TV SERIES: When They See Us

When They See Us is an American drama (based on a true story) , following the story of 5 teens from Harlem who are falsely accused and incarcerated. This documentary-drama is everything and more - heartbreaking, eye-opening, gut wrenching and really calls into question the injustice that is so pervasive in America. The series shows how the boys were disorientated, without food or toilet breaks, and even beaten up, in order to force a false confession. The penultimate episode also showcases the obstacles facing prisoners as they attempt to start a ‘new’ life; all 5 struggling to get a job and struggling to escape the collective identity they are forever subsumed under, the Central Park Five. The series offers a raw and ultimately revealing look at this compelling case and America’s flawed criminal justice system. It provides a nice starting point for those looking to educate themselves on systemic racism and how this plays out in the case of law enforcement.

​Lucy Haslam
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BOOK: I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

The autobiography of famous African American poet and writer Maya Angelou tells the story of her early years spent growing up in Arkansas in the 1930’s and 40’s. She chronicles the hardships she experiences, from racism to sexual abuse, and her journey into the world of literature. Angelou wrote the book at age forty; by this age she had held down a variety of occupations and was an active member of the Harlem Writers Guild and the Civil Rights Movement. Following Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in 1968, fellow African-American writer James Baldwin incited her to write a book about her experiences, despite her ascertaining she was a poet and playwright by trade; the book now finds itself on multiple ‘must read’ lists and is taught in schools worldwide. The book is highly lauded for its frankness surrounding it’s difficult subject matter, and is regarded as a cornerstone piece of literature in both the African-American canon, and the wider canon of English-language literature. The juxtaposition of Angelou’s successes versus the amount of oppression that sought to weigh her down is inspiring to learn about, and the book does not allow you look away from the trauma Angelou experienced because of her identity as a black woman. I would recommend this book as a companion to some of Angelou’s other works, in order to take on a fuller understanding of her experience, and the incredible literary works that were produced despite it.

Mica Anderson