Glitch
A piece of collectiveness during the covid break and my thoughts on the Black Lives Matter movement. It has been clarified by this pandemic, racism is far more toxic than the contagious virus and it spreads farther than one could imagine. The movement has emphasised racism in every circumstance, naming names that weren’t named and calling out the condemned.
​
Written by Melody Chan
My TV screen flashes momentarily when I turn on the news, colours conjugate in a glitch and the scene of an on-going protest emerges. People are marching, enraging, and chanting. Despite the hot weather they sweat through the crowd with their masks on and make their voice heard. The camera pans and closes up onto ‘Black Lives Matter’ slogans. There are slogans accustomed to pictures, whilst some are written with bold letters and in eye catchy fonts. Nonetheless these slogans scream for attention, resembling a sense of ferocity of the people who are aggravated by anger. These protests display the ultmost exasperation in the recent murder case of George Floyd.
The death of George Floyd happened like a glitch, and the news circulated quickly in social media platforms. In the face of the novel coronavirus, racism has never been this profound. People like you and me share posts online that speak up against racism and educate others about the Black Lives Matter movement. One by one, issues regarding police brutality become apparent and people acknowledge the importance of daily dosage of journalism. The growth of technology shouldn’t be undermined and its conspicuous stance in politics is as prominent as ever.
One click away and I come across an art post on Instagram. The post displays eloquent strokes of a digital painting that outline the face of George Floyd. Illustrations on social media endeavour the same power as words. They carry the characteristics of a certain ideal and convey the artist’s voice. Not only did I indulge myself in social media to become more aware of this matter, I decided to read into books written by black authors. The two books that I’ve been scrutinizing for the past summer are ‘Lonely Londoners’ by Sam Selvon and ‘American sonnets for my past and future assassin’ by Terrance Hayes. Both novels have intrinsically demonstrated how idealism relates to racism on so many different levels. I am deeply engrossed by the author’s demeanour in these stories, they present racism in their respective societies to bring out the injustice faced by their skin color. The perceptions placed on coloured people pervade and invoke expectations of how others should treat the colored. Those stereotypical impressions on Black people ‘lock [them] in an American sonnet that is part prison,/Part panic closet, a little room in a house set aflame’. The writers decide to speak up on this matter and bring awareness to the severity of treatment on people of color, how this creates difference and brings forth inhumane acts by the uneducated. These acts include cultural segregation and physical abuse, as well as hate crimes. Similarly, the Black Lives Matter movement advocates for equality, hoping those who’re coloured, particularly black people, to find a safe haven in this world. The movement aims to change unjust laws and allow black people to utilize liberty just like other races — ‘We not asking for the sun, or the moon. We only want to get by, we don’t even want to get on.’
2020 has engulfed us with political tension, sickness and of course racism. A lot of global issues have furtively mingled between the shadows and finally put into light. I am sure a lot of realisations have taken place, and am certain that we ought not to take the normal for granted. This year has convinced us not to resort to nonchalance, always be informed and encourages us to act in a glitch without hesitation. No matter how big or small the contributions we make to better the world, they count. If we confer our voice and ease the volatile situation we currently live in, humanity moves forward and subtly, makes change.