ABSTRACT
As people of African Descent, we live in challenging times. Black women*, Black trans* and gender-non-conforming people, Black disabled people, Black working-class people, Black men*, live in times where we find ourselves under constant pressure. Our lives are publicly devalued and dehumanised, amongst other means through European immigration policies that make lawful access to European countries attainable to only a very small and privileged class of people. Furthermore, every day, decisions are made that impact people of African Descent by determining who is visible, with whom it is desirable to work, where money is spent. We are taught from early childhood to strive for the centre—for wealth, whiteness, non-disability, straight love, and a body that is cis-gendered—and each of us inhabits it at different times. As we disentangle our own complicity in the system that produces oppression, we always have the chance to change dynamics and to change society—and we need to change the way we act and the way we centre ourselves in the world. Sometimes this means speaking our truth when we are at the margins, and sometimes this means giving up space to someone else to speak theirs at the centre. All this must be done while engaging with each other in compassion, love, and patience and implementing our ability to listen to each other.
