A group of anti-racist activists in Newport have launched a book club so people in the city can come together to learn and discuss issues around race in modern Wales and the UK.
BLM Essentials: A Book Club on Race was set up, organisers say, “because one of the major talking points of the Black Lives Matter movement has been the necessity of proper, nuanced education in relation to race, identity and intersectionality here in Britain.”
Andrew Ogun, who helped initiate Black Lives Matter Gwent group following a 2,000 strong march through the city centre on 11th June, said:
“I personally believe it’s important for the anti-racist to teach people about racism in the UK because there seems to be a perception that racism doesn’t exist [here].
He said that “insidious, institutional and structural racism here in the UK is still oppressing Black and brown people in this country…racism is not just an American issue or a historical issue but a contemporary issue that is still affecting us to this day.”
In a statement the group said the book club will “begin to open people’s minds” and provoke important discussions in the wake of the wave of anti-racist protests, that have not only swept Wales but so much of the world in the wake of the murder of George Floyd by police in America.
The first book to be read and discussed will be Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge.
Shanice became involved in Black Lives Matter Gwent partly through her work with Urban Circle; a youth arts organisation in Newport which helped facilitate the 2,000 strong march in the city. She spoke to voice about why she was looking forward to attending the book club and the importance of building the movement.
“Knowledge is one of the key points for having a successful movement that educates and makes change,” she said.
She said Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race was one of her favourite books and was looking forward to discussing it with others. “It really brings it closer to home. The book is about racism in the UK and is really powerful.” The group is open to all and is structured to make it accessible for people who don’t read a lot.
Shanice said that for people not connected to social media, the movement may have looked like it was dying down because physical marches were no longer happening at the same intensity, so it was vital for local groups to organise in the community in different ways.
This includes reaching out to groups of workers, such as health workers currently organising protests for better pay. “If you’re gonna say that black lives matter that means every single one, and there’s black lives in every single workforce. I think that the NHS, with the current climate, would be a good one to link up with and give them our support.”
The first book club looking at Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge will take place on Friday 7th August at 6.00pm via Zoom. For joining details go to: https://www.facebook.com/blmgwent/
The next books the group will be reading are:
Ibram X. Kendi – How to Be an Antiracist, Nikesh Sukla – The Good Immigrant (UK version), Asha Bandele & Patrisse Cullors – When They Call You A Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir, Akala – Natives
