Religious Moral
Philosophical Studies
#blacklivesmatter
Have you ever wondered how you would have acted during pivotal moments in history?
Your answer is in how you choose to act today.
Martin Luther King famously said "To ignore evil, is to become an accomplice to it."
This lesson is about the practical what can you and I do to make a difference?
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Like you I have had to educate myself to be better in this area. There is an amazing instagram page by Marie you can view it here, definitely check it out! https://www.instagram.com/wastefreemarie/
She has challenged me to think about how I respond during #blacklivesmatter in three simple ways
We need to become an ally. An ally is someone who has you back. Someone you can trust to stand united with you. Marie has split this into a simple list of things that we can do and things we should avoid.
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TASK - Challenges
Click the picture opposite and read the 8 Do's & Don't's about how to be an ally.
Pick one Do,
Think of one way you could make this happen in the next week.
Now pick one Don't.
Think of a time when one of these apply to you (you might not have even realised it until now). How would you change how you acted if you faced that situation again?
Ignorance is not bliss, - Ideas to try.
1. Do your own reading about history and black oppression.
2. Have a discussion as a family, maybe over dinner. Think about these resources and make discussion about anti-racism a regular discussion at home, at work and in school.
3. Watch some TED talks they are FREE! Learn from black peoples knowledge and experience and then share what you have learnt.
4. Be open to change. Unlearning and Learning.
It is ok to change you opinion after learning new things. That doesn't mean you are a hypocrite. It means you are unlearning some ideas and learning others. As members of a society that is overtly and subtly racist,, we have a lot to unlearn.
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Here is another challenging area where you could make a difference. On your left rotating are common statements made by people that at their roots can be viewed as racist.
These are quite challenging because on the surface you may not have even realised that what you say could be viewed that way.
TASK
WATCH the carousel and READ the black statement box and then the explanation of why this can be racist.
(click the image if you need longer to read)
Try to put yourself in the shoes of someone who could hear what you are saying as racist and not helpful. Can you understand their point of view?
Finally.
Opposite is a video from Theo. He is an RMPS teacher in Orkney. He has a masters in Philosophy and I have always found him to be a wise and honest man. I wanted to hear his thoughts on #Blacklivesmatter and how he tries to tackle racism as an RMPS teacher. Check him out!
What has become painfully clear is this is not something we can change overnight, but if we each play our part maybe we can begin to see change.
The link below will take you to a resource which is full of different book, podcasts, TED talks and documentaries you can use to find out more.
Don't be a bystander. Check some of them out.