Poetry & Activism Aligned

Zaria Simone is a black writer and actress that lives by the philosophy that one person can change the world. Two things drew me to her instagram feed time and time again - her poignant poetry and the #hindsight2020 challenge. This challenge was a response to the repetitive question, “It’s [blank year], how is this still happening?!” while POC suffer from daily microaggressions. She challenged her friends and followers with the message: “Instead of distancing ourselves from the atrocities of racism, I invite you to share a racist experience that either was directed towards you or happened in your presence, a time that you wish you had the knowledge, wisdom, or guts to fight head on. A time where you weren’t as brave as you thought you were.⁣ Tell us when you realized racism wasn’t a thing of the past.” These friends took this challenge and submitted videos explaining their story.

One of the most important actions taken right now has been starting difficult conversations and taking time to relearn. Zaria took advantage of the fact that friends are more keen to empathize with you and empathy is the key to understanding. Personal stories will exemplify the reality that racism is not far away, a more tangible truth.⁣ Part of this challenge focuses on recentering the conversation around real, tangible racism in loved ones' lives evoking empathy. It also allows allies to speak to their own audience from a place of vulnerability. It allows people to admit, on a public forum, that as long we learn from our mistakes, we don’t need to be ashamed of them.

The wash, rinse, repeat reaction to a black person being killed needs to be broken.

“Black person gets killed. A video surfaces. Protests. Then, the media demonizes the protestors and the victim. The conversation is hijacked.”

The collective outrage is something Zaria has not witnessed before this.The “white silence is violence” is hitting harder than it ever has. She has a poem called “I am surprised.” addressing these feelings. She also feels devastated that poetry that she has written years ago about racism and black death is just as relevant today. Writing poetry about these current events is a therapeutic experience as has the thousands of poems spanning from the past ten years all stemming from the heart.

As her industry makes new efforts to support BLM Zaria’s message is:

“I am inspired. Skeptical. Talk is cheap. Give up your seats. We deserve to sit at the table we built on the chairs we made under the roof we slaved over.”