As October comes to a close, so does Black History Month, which is a time to honour the achievements, resilience, and contributions of Black communities.

I am not Black, and I have not lived the same history Black people have, but I do know what it means to come from a background shaped by colonialism and racism, and I feel deeply connected to the importance of acknowledging and challenging those systems. For me, advocating for Black rights means recognising both our shared struggles and the unique experiences Black people, unfortunately, continue to face.

When I read posts celebrating a Black person’s milestone as being the first Black-American person to achieve something, I often see certain comments. Instead of celebrating their accomplishment, many comments would question why their race was mentioned, insisting that calling them simply American was enough. That reaction really struck me as it showed how easy it is for people to overlook the systemic oppression and barriers a Black individual would have had to overcome. Yes, they may have had privilege in other areas of their, which is the is possible for anyone, but that does not erase the fact that being a Black individual in a historically exclusionary space carries real challenges.

I also remember a post recently where Rihanna celebrated being a Black woman, coming from a Black woman, and giving birth to a Black child. The comments mocking her for saying this completely missed the point, which I found sad and ignorant. She was not excluding anyone but simply embracing her identity. Black identity, which for generations has been dismissed, suppressed, and devalued. I viewed this as her claiming that identity proudly, which to me, was an act of powerful resistance and her acknowledgement of Black History.

What troubles me the most is when people say things like what happened was in the past, as though racism, inequality and its impact have disappeared. These injustices did not end, and unfortunately still continue today, both in the lived experiences of Black people and through the generational trauma passed down over time from their past traumatic and horrendous experiences. I believe it is so important to validate this!

If you are interested in learning more, especially if you feel like racial bias does not apply to you because you proudly see yourself as not racist, I encourage you to explore the concept of unconscious bias. Many of us carry biases we don’t even realise are there. A great place to start is the work of Resmaa Menakem. His thoughtful and powerful book My Grandmother’s Hands offers important insight into how racial trauma affects all of us, in different ways, and what healing can look like.

There are also everyday actions we can take. When you hear someone being judged, stereotyped, or mocked, whether it is about their race, skin colour, disability, sexuality, or identity, choose not to join in. Instead, be the person who stands with them and sometimes just showing that you don’t find it funny can make a meaningful difference.

Personally, I have also been trying to be more aware of the language I use. For example, I no longer say Middle East when talking about Western Asia or North Africa, because it is a colonial term that centres Europe instead of the cultures and histories of the people who live there (a short educational video by the wonderful Egyptian feminist writer and activist, Nawal El Saadawi here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Cn3UP6dp8d0). It might feel like a small change, but I do strongly believe that small actions add up. For example, whenever I start to doubt whether something small matters, I remind myself of the starfish story. Look it up if you haven’t heard of it. It is a beautiful story about a person walking along a beach throwing stranded starfish back into the sea. When someone says, “You can’t possibly save them all,” the person picks up one more and replies, “It made a difference to that one.”

I hope you will join me, not just during Black History Month, but every day, in finding even one small way to make a difference. One starfish at a time 🙂

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