After all that has been written this weekend about the BNP I feel compelled to wrap my contributions up into a single blog.
As a coach and trainer I find myself on a daily basis talking to people about change. People come to me seeking change on a multitude of levels; a new job, a change of career, a new relationship or just good old success.
The ability to create change is dependant upon a few basic tenants. None is more fundamental than this: You can’t change the things that happen to you, but you can change your response.
Nick Griffin appeared on Question Time. The BNP are a racist, yet legal party. Support of the BNP is increasing and Things are going to get worse before they get better. These ladies and gents are the facts. You and I cannot change these facts, but we can change how we respond to them.
Here are a few suggestions:
Write to your MP
Let your local MP know you expect them to push for the banning of the BNP. Let them know we are not fooled by cosmetic changes made under due rest by the BNP and the only outcome you desire is that they are banned.
Encourage your friends to write to their MP
Daily I get invites to events, friend, Fan and Group suggestions, not to mention e-mails from friends making a variety of suggestions; everything from great places to eat out to why I should have an Iphone instead of a Blackberry. It therefore cannot be wrong to encourage your friends to assist in defeating the BNP. Can it?
Educate yourself
If I wanted to oppress you, believe me I would not educate you either. Stop moaning about why Black history is not taught in schools and go out and find your own sources of education. Remember racism is the doctrine of ignorance.
Educate your children.
Calling the system institutionally racist is our version of PC. Spend a little less energy labelling the system and more training your kids to beat it. I grow weary of parents and elders whose only contribution to how their kids defend against racism is teaching them to call the police pigs and to accuse all authority figures of being racist. If you know the system is racist then teach your kids how to handle racism and if you don’t know how: ASK.
Participate
Is it any wonder that after all these years many of the UK institutions remain racist? In a misguided refusal not to “sell out”, not only have we failed to move into certain careers, but we have gone a step further and ensured our children view certain professions as absolute no-go areas. Be warned that by doing so we will continue to be marginalised and if we marginalise ourselves then why should they not do the same?
Unite or die
It is that simple. Generation after generation of black people have subscribed to a dangerous self fulfilling propechy – Black people can’t unite. We have said this so often, we now actually believe it. This must stop. Our biggest weakness is our division, our suspicion of each other, our unwillingness to work side by side with each other often based purely upon the geography of our birth. Truth is I don’t even have to like you to work alongside you for the black cause.
Assess your leadership
Last but certainly not least we need to take a look at our black leadership. Our leaders must offer more then just attacks on the past actions of white society They must offer more than just the same old “wicked white man” stories, slavery stories, Brixton riot stories, colonialist stories and suspicion on all white men. Too many of our leaders are lazy and have learnt the art of the sound bite just as well as the white man. They use words and phrases which stir up emotion, but offer no comfort and no way forward.
We deserve better than this. No. In fact we don't deserve better...we can have better.
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