Diaspora Collective

In this episode we speak about the recent announcements from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the media response. We’ll be framing this by exploring the relationship between the monarchy and race, and considering whether you can be pro-Black and pro monarchy. How can we navigate conflicting identities as a Black British individuals? Is supporting or aligning with the establishment a prerequisite to British identity? Is it possible for the monarchy lean itself towards Black liberation?

In this episode we speak about the Golden Globe nominations saga where Michaela Coel’s I May Destroy You was snubbed for a nomination in favour of Emily in Paris. We’ll be linking this to the notion that Black people have to “work twice as hard to get half as far”, and exploring how this relates to institutional inequality and limited access to opportunity.

Main Episode Focuses:

- The concept of working “Twice as Hard”

-Links to access of opportunities

- Institutional Issues that perpetuate inequality (the institutions that hand out recognition)

- Solutions like separatism and affirmative action

This week we discuss the recent Love Island debacle between Yewande Biala and Lucy. We outline the meaning of microaggressions and relate it to racist stereotyping, double consciousness and misogynoir. We interrogate the destabilising effect that microaggressions have on interpersonal experiences, explore their role in both reality tv and broader society, and frame their existence in the hierarchy of racial violence. What is so micro about microaggressions? When will we stop minimising and invalidating Black peoples experiences of everyday racism?

This week we provide a brief intro back into what we have been up to at the DIASPORA HQ. We take a look back at 2020, and discuss New Years resolutions and what we hope to achieve this year. We want to say a huge thank you to all our listeners. If you’ve listened to 1 episode or all 13 from last season we appreciate you taking the time to hear us and support us.

During this episode, we will be discussing developing government mistrust in the Black, and minoritised communities, particularly with the release of the COVID-19 vaccine and increased efforts to focus on “BAME” communities. We’ll also be touching on the recent deportation flight to Jamaica on Wednesday 2nd December, and the Joint Committee of Human Rights report on racism released on twitter on 11th November. Our focus will be exploring mistrust in institutions; where does it come from, and how do we move forward?

A couple of disclaimers before you listen:

We want to stress that in this episode we are NOT going to discuss whether or not anyone should be getting the vaccine. We want to emphasise that health services, science and medical institutions are full of wonderful technologies and individuals who strive to create improvements to global health. Choices on how to respond are personal opinions which we will not comment on. However, we have noticed an increased distrust from our community that we want to delve into and analyse.

In some cases we will be using the term BAME, any one who knows us knows we do not agree with that term, but when referring to public documentation that has been titled using ‘BAME’ we will align with that for clarity. However, personally we will emphasise the term minoritised communities in the context of the UK.

A huge thank you to those who sent in their opinions for this episode.

During this episode, we will be discussing yet another controversy - this time focusing specifically on the Sainsbury’s advert. Why is it more controversial to centre a Black family in a Christmas advert than a family of carrots and aliens? We discuss racist assumptions about Black families and the relationship between representation, racism and capitalism. We delve into the important distinction between representation in front of and behind the screen and discuss the recent backlash in the context of the lingering racist lineage that the advertisement industry still perpetuates.

During this episode, we will be discussing how everything is political in light of the most recent US election and the End Sars movement. Is it sometimes okay to be apolitical and do race and ethnicity have a stake in politics?

Continuing with our focus on Black History Month, we’ve decided to do an episode on Black Girl Magic and “Her”stories; getting a little bit nostalgic and shining light on #InternationalDayofthe Girl. As an ode to Black creatives, story lines and journeys, we all watched Rocks on Netflix and will be relating key themes in the film to our lives growing up as British British girls. Side bar, it’s also our 10th episode! So a big thank you to everyone who has tuned into any of our episodes, encouraged us and inspired us to make it to 10!

Happy UK #BlackHistoryMonth! During the ninth episode of the Diaspora Collective Podcast we discuss Black excellence in light of Black History Month: its focus on specific members of Black history and what it means for the Black community today. We also discuss pivotal moments in the history of our own cultures. In this episode, we discuss how much we actually know about Black British History, where did we learn it from? And why is it important to us? We also explore the ways in which we all can authentically partake in BHM to make sure this month counts!

We asked and you answered - in this weeks episode we respond to discussion points sent in by our listeners! We posed the following questions: Do you think we’ve made progress and if so why? What else can be done? Are you talking to family and friends more about these issues? Have you maintained the changes initiated by the protests and unrest? We were met with more questions than answers but during this episode we address whether reading about anti-racism makes you anti-racist; How to extend your anti-racist activism beyond interpersonal conversations and social media; and whether BAME educators should be paid for their labour. Tune in to hear the Diaspora Collective’s thoughts