Magazine of the Glasgow University Union
MoGUU
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Introducing GUACS and reaching conclusions about Black History Month.
Covid-19, global #blacklivesmatter protests and rising economic inequality. If this year has highlighted anything to us, it is the importance of Black History Month. To move forward for a better tomorrow, we must look both at the past to see how we got here and to look at the present to understand what “here” is.
The First Black ______
The government and the opposition need to think about their people, if they actually went out and saw the conditions in which their people are living, it might actually mean that they would pause and think again about the importance of peace. - Valerie Amos
He Had a Dream.
It is now 57 years after Martin Luther King, Jr., shared his dream with America and the rest of the world. What was an empowering, impassioned speech rocked the nation in many ways, and to this day acts as one of the most famous speeches in the world…the thing about the Civil Rights Movement, the acts of 1964 and 1968 didn’t stop discrimination. Still remaining legal and societal inequalities dominating Black lives, racism still has a firm grip on America and the world in many cases. So what would be the dream today?
Black hair.
…In both cultures, hair is so important. It is your crown. As a child, mine was constantly shoved away in two large plaits to tame the curls, as a teen, it was tucked into a tight bun, the frizziness framing my head…
Know Their Names.
We are constantly told by Twitter and Instagram to “know their names”, to know their stories. But somehow, knowing it all, donating all the time and raising awareness just doesn’t feel like enough. Especially from our position across the Atlantic, it can often feel like how much we shout doesn’t make a difference…
Non-white Travel Influencers You Should Give a Follow
As a white person, I find it VITAL that I follow accounts that tell the story of people of other backgrounds, that show different worldviews to mine! I think this is a general necessity when travelling too. Here is a compilation of some non-white traveller influencers I’ve found interesting AND SUPER DUPER COOL. I think Instagram CAN be a healthy platform if we follow the right accounts!
The Immorality Against Henrietta Lacks
October is black history month, a month for all to look back, look forward, and learn. As a white individual, I have a moral, legal and personal duty to do what I can and use my privilege to educate myself and others to reduce systemic racism, an issue which is still extremely prevalent in 21st-century society.