Embracing Everyday Solidarity

There’s room for nuance in most parts of life, but there’s one thing I think is always super unambiguous: you're either racist or antiracist and there’s nothing in between. Professor Angela Davis told us, “In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.” So, if you're choosing not to do the work of antiracism, it’s clear where you sit.

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“In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.”

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Antiracist isn’t just a label you wear to bolster your own reputation – it’s active work and it means you actually have to put in effort. So, if you call yourself an antiracist – especially if you’re racialised as white - you have to stop expecting people to tell you how to show solidarity and take on the responsibility to learn yourself.

For far too long, people of the Global Majority have been tasked with the heavy lifting of antiracism work, without considering the weight of that load. Given the history of Global Majority communities being viewed as literal vehicles for work under white supremacy, expecting us to shoulder the responsibility of antiracism reduces us down to resources that are still being exploited for the benefit of white people.

This means if you are racialised as white, even if you don’t like describing yourself in this way, it's time to stop asking what to do about racism. Instead, as the fantastic Nova Reid says, you need to start using your discernment and stop asking people to do the work for you. If you hear words you don't know - look up the definition. If you want to know where to start, read some books or get on YouTube and start watching some videos. Whatever medium you prefer, there are hundreds of resources readily available. There’s no other field where you would expect others to spoon-feed you if you lacked knowledge, so it’s vital that you start doing the work and stop centring yourself – and your education – in the wider conversation.

As part of your antiracist activity, you also need to identify your sphere of influence and think about how you can wield your agency and power to support racially minoritised groups. Even if you don’t think of yourself as particularly influential, you have the potential to positively impact your personal and professional networks with your choices and use your commercial power to directly effect change

For example, you could use your voice to help others tackle micro aggressions when you see them instead of staying silent. You could make a concerted effort to buy from Black-owned businesses on a regular basis instead of as a one-off act of charity. At work, you can also use your influence to connect people with opportunities or champion antiracist initiatives that would benefit from your backing.

The list of things you can do is endless because the key thing about everyday solidarity is that it requires you to take action consistently. There’s no template and no checklist – you just have to be aware and prepared to take action if necessary. People from the Global Majority don’t have the privilege of opting out of the antiracism conversation because it shapes our experience in every part of our lives. If you’re not part of the

Global Majority, the best way to show your solidarity is by doing something – anything! - that means you're not opting out – even when it’s difficult.

Everyday solidarity means acting when nobody is looking, using your influence in rooms others can’t yet access and speaking up - without thinking about thought leadership on LinkedIn. Solidarity is not about making you look good or for your own personal or professional benefit. It’s not a charitable endeavour and it definitely doesn’t make you a saviour. We show solidarity because we believe in equity.

Over the last few years, there’s been a lot of talk about ‘doing the work’ without enough follow ups on what that work is and how it’s going. This is my reminder to do just that. Do the work, take steps to be better informed and show people that you’ve started your journey before you ask them to be part of it.

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