Representation matters - knowing that you are important to the story

Following my blog post last Friday where I reflected on Raymond William’s ‘Resources of Hope’ and Riz Ahmed’s speech to parliament, a friend and colleague sent me this booklet entitled ‘Strength and Power: The Resource For Black Students’. I find it to be exactly what Raymond Williams was calling for - a ‘resource of hope’.

I’ve had a look through it and found the content to be relevant and exciting - hopeful indeed. The booklet is a collection of literary and media texts, speeches and multimedia resources written and produced by black writers, thinkers, producers, influencers and artists. The resource was compiled by Y Orekan and C James. It was shared with me by a friend and sociology teacher. As sociologists, we often look at the marginalisation in society of particular groups and communities. The writings of Bell Hooks and Stuart Hall often raise the issue of ‘lack’. The lack of voice from theorists and philosophers of colour and the relative absence of minority representations. I was particularly drawn to this paragraph in the opening mission statement:

We created this guide because we wanted black students to not feel lost. We want them to know who they can speak to, who they can look up to, the books they can read, the shows that they can watch and more, with the purpose of feeling connected to something. Representation matters and it is important that young black people see themselves reflected in the sources they absorb. Representation matters and it is important that young black people learn about their past and their heritage. It is important that we do so in order to help dismantle systemic racism whilst empowering the next generation of black leaders. Representation matters... You matter.

This seems to echo most directly the ‘call to action’ in Riz Ahmed’s speech - to tell an inclusive story where children from all backgrounds can see versions of themselves and their predecessors and be inspired by relevant and credible meaning - so that we can all be meaning makers in our shared world.

The full pdf is here - just click the button below:

I’m currently working my way through the ‘Netflix’ recommendations pages. I can also personally recommend ‘Natives’ by Akala - another book A Level Sociology students will know of. There’s a lot of great content here which will keep us intellectually and culturally engaged throughout the summer holidays.