Originally written for the SAR newsletter in 2021, poet RED MEDUSA appeals to our humanity as the fuel we need to keep fighting for social justice.

Sometimes it feels like we are up against the world. As an autistic Black woman of mixed heritage and mother to two beautiful Black children, I often find myself in the midst of fighting multiple fires. At work, I am the Black woman that has to work twice as hard to get noticed for something the average white man in my position is recognised for almost immediately. My proximity to whiteness often makes my white colleagues feel comfortable enough to say subtle, bigoted comments regarding a person’s race or foreign accent. My gender invites patronising conversations from male colleagues despite the fact that I am more qualified then they are. My autism isn’t seen as a superpower but instead as a disability that may require ‘support’. In my life as mother, I often find myself consoling my son who knows that his teachers treat him differently because he is Black, and arguing with people who insist that my daughter isn’t mine because her skin is darker. And then there is me, a light skinned, mixed race woman who identifies as Black, yet is expected to straddle the fence and pick a side. On one side, the side I was raised with, I am mostly accepted as a Black woman but occasionally I will encounter someone who will deny my existence – relegating me to a kind of ‘racial purgatory’ where I am considered a confused nobody who cannot be trusted. On the other side of the fence are white people who range from allies to out and out racists, either embracing the richness of my culture and identity or seeing me as an angry Black woman when I refuse to conform to ‘social norms’ aka respectability politics. Overseeing mine (and probably your) experience of all of this discrimination, is a right-wing government that panders to Trumpian ideology, fuelling an ever growing movement against everything that we stand for: equality, equity and social justice for marginalised groups everywhere. However, whether you come from a marginalised group or are an ally to our many causes, every now and then we all just want to give up. Let's be honest, this shit gets exhausting. My allies often speak to me about their own experiences of burnout and the difficulties of navigating worlds where they are asked to speak up and be quiet at the same time. They often find themselves being policed by colleagues and cast out of their social circles for taking a stance against racism, sexism and all of the other ‘isms’ we collectively struggle against; this against a backdrop of decolonising and relearning everything they ever thought they knew about Whiteness, maleness and various other privileges afforded to them. This work takes place between, around and inside of us all and it is not easy, but we keep going because we know that it's absolutely crucial that we build on the foundations left behind by those who went before us. We cannot let our collective works and sacrifices be in vain - we must continue to think critically about and unpack our beliefs, behaviours and relationships with each other, and the structures, institutions and ideologies that inform our experiences and (mis)understandings. Despite everything and everyone we are up against, we continue to push back, knowing that we are contributing to a future we might never see but no doubt will exist. We march on because we want incoming generations to live in a world that doesn't see them as a threat, commodity, oddity or outcast. Ultimately, we continue our fight because we understand that what happens to one, affects us all. Our dedicated resistance to facism is a testament to our humanity. This last year, we lost friends, family, our jobs and our freedoms. We lost everything that defined our 'normality'. What we have not lost is our humanity, and for as long as we have that, we haven't lost the fight for justice. May our humanity continue to drive, embolden and strengthen us all as we continue this challenging but crucial journey towards a better world for us all. In love and solidarity, always. RED MEDUSA

RED MEDUSA - Open Letter.