Why ‘Purple Hued Views?’
When I first floated the idea of this blog to friends and family, the first question I was asked was “Why Purple Hued Views?” I had to explain each and every time, and I figured it would stand to reason that everyone else reading this blog would ask the same question, so this is my (very short) blog post to explain. Naturally, I wanted the name of my blog to reflect what it is fundamentally about. Like everyone else, my core beliefs and my experiences frame the way I look at the world and inform the issues I am passionate about. I am, to put it simply, a Black…
To All the Friends Who Say ‘I Don’t See Race’
I guess you could consider this a public service announcement. To all the people who say/have ever said things like, “I don’t see colour/race,” this is a message for you. Unless you are genuinely, medically diagnosed as colour blind, you are a liar. You can see colour because it is clearly there on display for you to see. If what you mean is that you don’t consciously (and I stress the word ‘consciously’) allow your recognition of someone’s colour to dictate your opinions of them and the assumptions you make about them, then that’s all well and good but you need to SAY THAT. You may be thinking that I’m…
Adoption: why is it seen as the lesser option?
CN/TW: This post contains graphic descriptions of childbirth. I’m nearly 30. As is the custom, I’m at that age where older family members and some older friends start asking me questions that are not only intrusive but are actually really annoying. “When are you going to get married?” “Do you want to have children? When are you going to have them?” If I’m lucky, I might get away with just that. If not, I’ll hear some dreaded reference to my biological clock, and I’ll have to try really hard not to kiss my teeth – this time not solely out of annoyance but also out of resignation, because I…
Windrush Scandal: Why the Personal is Political
Below is an adapted version of a sermon I delivered at St. Peter de Beauvoir Town Church in May 2018. I know that everyone will know what the Windrush scandal is and how it came into being as there has been a lot of coverage of it in the news, so I won’t go into any detail about its history. Instead, I will start off by reinforcing the reality of the situation for those affected by the scandal – the impact of this injustice should never be forgotten. Despite numerous promises, platitudes and assurances from various government officials, scores of West Indians are in limbo, either stranded in the…
