News / Black Lives Matter
Taking the fight against racial inequality beyond the hashtag
It was four years ago that Ngaio Anyia first helped organise a Black Lives Matter protest in Bristol to take a stand against racism and inequality.
“There was a lot of talk from people that things were going to change but then it stopped being trendy and stopped being talked about,” says the singer, DJ and writer.
Speaking just days after the protest on Sunday, June 7 that saw the statue of notorious slave trader Colston toppled from its plinth, Ngaio says this time the movement needs to go beyond words and social media posts if we are to see any real change.
is needed now More than ever
The St George-based singer reached out to friends with an idea to help keep the conversation going, offer resources and also provide a virtual space for people to join the protest, share their messages of solidarity and make a commitment to change.
Less than a week after that initial conversation, #BeyondTheHashtag was launched as a platform to help facilitate this.
“This moment has to go beyond posting an image and a hashtag,” says Ngaio.
“If we are not doing the work behind the hashtag, that’s not helpful. We need people from all backgrounds to have these difficult conversations with family and friends and peers about why black people are treated as less than.”
With the coronavirus pandemic still posing a very real threat, Ngaio did not go out to protest on Sunday but felt it was really important to provide people with an open, non-judgemental virtual space to show their solidarity.
She says the creation of the website was down to the amazing work of her group of friends from various community groups, festivals and pubs, who rallied to respond in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis – a tragic moment that sparked protests around the world.
It was an immediate response but also an invitation to open a deeper conversation and jump off to the next step, beyond Blackout Tuesday. The site includes educational resources and links to black-led organisations in Bristol and across the UK.
“We wanted to provide tools about how to have difficult conversations and start to understand your own unconscious bias,” explains Ngaio. “It’s the beginning of something we want to get bigger. It’s there to keep growing and for people to share among different communities and keep adding to.”
Ngaio (front and centre) says this moment has to go beyond posting an image and a hashtag – photo by Charley Williams
It’s about expressing yourself through art and creativity and the singer has offered the lyrics of Blackbird, the first release from her debut EP, We Fly, to help people connect and show solidarity even if they don’t have the words themselves.
Asked if she feels the widespread outpouring of solidarity and anti-racism sentiment of recent weeks will be a catalyst for lasting change, Ngaio says: “I really had so much hope last time round, it has been so exhausting. But I’m trying to stay optimistic. What I do like this time is the number of allies who are speaking up and having these conversations.
“The more I see white people and people from other communities stepping up for black people, the more I will feel optimistic about it, but it’s too soon to say.
“The conversation does not go away. I really hope this time that this stays with people.”
She adds that the overwhelming response to #BeyondTheHashtag feels positive, saying: “I feel like there is a real sense of taking responsibility and moving forward.”
Find out more and join the virtual protest via www.beyondthehashtag.co.uk/.
Main photo by Charley Williams
Read more: Black-led organisations respond to march and toppling of Colston statue
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