BLACK not BAME

I must admit the last couple of weeks have been a real struggle. A time of sadness, yet one filled with moments of true self reflection. A time of gloom, yet glimmers of hope seen, in the undeniable yearning for equality, equity and justice.

From wrestling with the woes of the coronavirus pandemic to the media resurfacing of the seemingly unending injustices, prejudices and racism long endured by my race, the black race for centuries….It has been pretty difficult navigating my way through the current world we live in. 

The unfortunate, unwarranted, unjustified deaths of Rayshard Brooks, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor to mention a few, has again sparked global outrage and an uprising of a very tired generation, hungry for change and long lasting reforms.  

Many necessary conversations have been had regarding racism. The need to be actively anti-racist. Conversations that are long overdue and very necessary should we entertain any hope of progression. 

One of those necessary conversations is one I had recently, with a dear friend of mine. 

BAME.

The oversaturated use of the the acronym BAME ( Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) groups by the media in recent years and more particularly in recent weeks, has admittedly long baffled me, even more so in the current climate we find ourselves in.

I don’t recall ever complaining about being referred to, as a black person or a black woman. Neither have I seen any uproar against being called that. 

So why then did the need arise to formulate such an acronym? To what gain? And for whose benefit? I ask. 

According to a brief google search the term was birthed as a term of “inclusion” of marginalised ethnic groups following the civil rights movement. In recent times this term has been adopted by organisations, institutions and the government as the acceptable way to refer to marginalised ethnic groups.
Yes, the suggested intent being the quest for ‘inclusion for all’ might arguably be noble to some. However lumping a group of different ethnic minorities under one label of BAME is tragically problematic, tone deaf and counterproductive to the fight for true inclusion, equity and equality.

We may have similarities which include being marginalised, made to feel like a foreigner (even though this might be our country of birth), wanting inclusion and equality in all facets of life. However our woes, struggles, triumphs and victories are notably different. unique….and certainly not befitting to be dismissed under yet another label aimed at establishing so called ”inclusion’

Say it Loud. I’m black and I’m proud.

James Brown

BAME to me, is just another form of “othering” you know…whites and non whites. Yet another label.

For centuries labels have been placed on ethic minority groups as a form of ‘othering’ amongst many things.
We have seen labels in our lifetime deemed acceptable to now not so acceptable, that was used to describe the black race. “Slave” “3/5th of a person” , “negro” the N word (No, I refuse to give it any merit by spelling it out) , ‘POC’ etc and now “BAME”

Why can’t you just call me black`?
Does it make you feel uncomfortable? If it does, why does it?

It is what I am after all.

If it makes you uncomfortable, then maybe it’s about time to equally self reflect, be ready to unlearn and relearn. A time to be actively anti racist….even when it comes to labels.

In the words of James Brown “Say it loud. I’m black and I’m proud’ weren’t just lyrics to a song.

Being “BLACK” isn’t just skin deep.

It is our story, our culture, our lifestyle, our history.
It is our rhythm and our blues.
It is a vibe.
It is me.
It is us.

Enough with the unnecessary unsolicited labels.
Enough of wanting ‘inclusion’ yet ‘othering’ and ‘segregating’ us the more.
Enough of lumping different ethnic minority groups as one, like we are all the same. We are not.
Enough of dismissing our history and who we truly are. Who we are becoming and who we can be.

We are worthy of being seen.
Being respected.
Being given equal rights and due equity.

We shouldn’t be “tolerated’ or “accepted” any longer. We deserve to be welcomed…as equals.

So in the wake of this new eruption of consciousness, let us retire the use of these problematic labels.
No more POC, BAME or any other concocted label to “help” make us feel included or make you feel more comfortable.

Just refer to me as a BLACK person.

BLACK and PROUD.