Holding space for contradiction

Part of Doing The Work (of anti-racism, anti-oppression and equity) means holding space for contradiction.

Holding space for the existence of multiple truths at the same time that directly work against each other. Holding space for a reality that is not so much 'either/or' but 'yes and'. Holding space for the conflict and friction that is an inevitable part of this uneasy co-existence and sitting with the discomfort this causes. Holding space for the 'wrong and more wrong', the 'wrong but less clear' and the 'wrong but hidden' in place of 'right and wrong'.

Let me give you a few examples from this week. I started the week on a high. Brand by Me, my already multiple award winning business, won Small Business of the Year at the Black Talent Awards- an award that celebrates Black talent in the workplace (and organisations that nurture and support Black talent too).

Contradiction 1 - Awards are absolutely not a judge of business performance or quality. Awards are a brilliant way of recognising and celebrating achievement.

No conflict here though - I have already made my peace with this one. Awards help me to recognise our progress as a business, when often I am too busy just moving on to the next urgent thing.

It's currently Black History Month in the UK.

And I always feel so conflicted about it. Yes it's so important that we embed and recognise Black History as part of UK history - but that should be every day, month and year, not just October. History is made in the present, but people are so quick to move on that Black history (good and bad) is forgotten- deliberately made invisible so that a narrative of white supremacy can persist.

Racism, colonialism and white supremacy are often relegated to history, so that people can distance themselves from it and maintain the illusion that racism is something done "by those BAD people over there". And the existence of Black History Month can simply reinforce this - which makes it exhausting for Black folks. Especially as it's also the month where companies and organisations will scrabble round looking for Black speakers for events. At the last minute (even though this month happens every year). Wanting us to speak for free. (Yes this is based on personal experience).

Yet it's also been joyful. It's been brilliant to see the relaunch of the Uncharitable conference - a highlight of my year- as a month-long programme of events focussed on decolonisation, anti-racism and liberation this October. You can still buy tickets for some of their amazing events here

On the first day of Black History Month (October 1st), I did a brilliant panel on Black Creativity AND an event with my Join Our Table co-founders at Campaign Live.

And right now, the Outernet in London, is a glorious celebration of Black creativity, history and culture (do go visit).

Contradiction 2 - Black History Month is a celebration of Black people's continued and numerous contributions and legacy in the UK. Black History Month is a tokenistic and extractive attempt to prove that the UK is not racist, and this is exhausting for many Black people.

Let's talk about Heinz.

In case you haven’t seen it, Heinz have been widely criticised for a racist ad that has appeared on billboards and tube adverts. An ad that has now been pulled, and for which they have (kind of) apologised for. (Read my take on the whole thing here).

On LinkedIn, even in the comments on my one post, there were so many examples of the existence of contradictory truths (that Heinz would do well to learn from).

For example (but not limited to)

Contradiction 3 - It’s really important that we call out racism when we see it in the public domain. Fear of being called out is the biggest reason brands use for not being open about their anti-racism progress or lack of it.

Contradiction 4 - The Heinz ad played into racist stereotypes of absent Black fathers. Advertising should be able to show a breadth of family settings, not just heteronormative, two parent examples.

Contradiction 5 - Advertising that represents minoritised communities often gets increased attention and scrutiny. Mistakes are inevitable and expected as brands take action around equity and inclusion.

Each of these contradictions represent a "yes and" scenario. Each of these contradictions are simultaneously true and work against each other. Each of these contradictions are, in fact, in direct conflict and the existence of one makes the other really difficult to tackle or address.

Holding space for contradiction, means acknowledging it. It means accepting and looking for contradiction. It means being open and willing to be corrected - welcoming this even if it feels raw and personal. And it means staying true to our values, without resorting to binary battles of "right versus wrong" that prevent learning.

I would love to hear what you think. Let me know in the comments.

PS Have a read of Brand by Me’s latest blog post. It’s all about the difference between diversity and anti-racism, and why diversity without anti-racism can lead to racist output. As Heinz have found out, far too late. Perhaps Heinz marketing team should have a read. Feel free to forward this on - not just to Heinz employees but anyone who you think might find it useful.