Nowadays

As writers and individuals, everyone at Nowadays stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter Movement.

These are exceptional circumstances. We are living through a pandemic and a revolution at the same time. But we should not be afraid to admit that it is difficult to properly understand what is happening around us.

However, in the case of George Floyd, we do understand that the circumstances that he and the wider African-American community are living in, are not exceptional to them. Sadly, systematic racism, police brutality and inequality towards minorities is all too familiar in today’s world.

This writer thought that he understood inequality before recent events, but as a white, heterosexual, British male, how can I truly write about inequality when I have never experienced it myself?

At Nowadays, we have a responsibility to make sure that we do not issue empty statements. It is our privilege, that we have the power to express our voices and opinions as freely as we have done so far, and will continue to do so.

Social media is awash with people telling the world how to protest and how not to protest, what protests to go to, why our education was wrong, what privilege is, what privilege isn’t, what to post and how to post it; and what we should and shouldn’t read. Although a lot of it is correct, and should have been said years ago, social solidarity is risking making the ability to show real, human solidarity a struggle.

Nowadays is a safe platform, we allow our writers to express their views freely, without the supervision of an editor. We will get back to picking apart presidencies, covering pandemics and expressing our voice very soon.

But right now it is important to take the time to pause and reflect. Don’t just hit share. Read the post, read the article, look at the images that are being put in front of you; and question your own mental and emotional response to the information that you are taking in.

We are living in an incredibly intense environment. There is so much to take in and there are not a lot of right answers out there. Showing basic solidarity is a start, and we can work together from there.