Privilege, Power & Platform: Supporting Melanated Voices On GTHQ

Dear GTHQ reader,

We are in the middle of some uncertain times right now in our world with COVID-19 pandemic, but also specifically here in the United States as we have been seeing protests across the country in light of the murder of Minneapolis man George Floyd by the hands of the police. His cries of “I can’t breathe” going unheard by his murderer have been heard far and wide not just in America but across the world, where a number of countries have risen up in solidarity to protest and march in defense of Black lives. The rallying cry of #BlackLivesMatter has echoed across the globe where countries like Australia have been marching for Aboriginal rights, Britain marching in protest of their own history of slavery and glorification of their own monuments to colonialism and slavery (Bristol protests tore down a statue of slave trader Edward Colston and dragged it into the water) and activists across India calling out the systemic racism that exists within their own country and examining harmful ideals that promote white skin (skin lightening creams being promoted by celebs who are posting about Black Lives Matter on social media).

As a platform founded by an immigrant and woman of color – Asha Dahya is Indian, born in the UK, raised in Australia and now lives in Los Angles – we recognize the privilege we have in being able to reach a large audience. We may not be the biggest blog or platform on the planet, but we want to be mindful and responsible of the reach we do have.

We already make it a point to support black and brown voices as a default on the site as well as our social media where we often post about different stories and messages than seen on the blog. And today we want to reiterate that using our privilege and platform to empower and amplify melanated voices is more important to us than ever.

There are so many ways change can be made right now, from protesting to voting, to donating. And we want to do our part for the legacy of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor (whose killers are still free), Ahmaud Arbery (whose killers are currently on trial), Sandra Bland, Trayvon Martin, Atatiana Jefferson, Alton Sterling, Michael Brown, and the countless others whose names we may never hear about and whose stories may never go viral. Their lives mattered.

This week we will be re-upping a handful of stories from our site featuring the inspiring stories of black women making a difference in the world, and we will also be reposting some of the most powerful stories that have come out of these protests.

Please join us in this mission to keep the conversation going about systemic racism, structural change, individual responsibility, and how we can use the privileges we have to ensure that Black Lives Matter. If we are going to defeat the evil of white supremacy, it will take all of us doing what we can.

In solidarity,

The GTHQ team.