Watching Prince Harry stand united with Meghan and using his privilege to speak out against racism in the monarchy, it was hard to miss a certain irony, the royal family casting out exactly what Britain needs. Senior leaders, and those in positions of power, who wield their influence to break the cycles of systemic racism that underpins the majority of old institutions in the UK. Even when it carries a personal cost to the individual.
Following the BLM protests in 2020, I watched the British response unfold with deep scepticism. Pledges of allyship from both businesses and individuals, to stand with the Black community against injustice, and to educate oneself on the racism prevalent in the UK caught, and spread, at the pace of a viral TikTok challenge. But many of us were waiting, observing, how would the promises of the many play out when the furore inevitably subsided?
Having founded a diversity initiative, The Colour Balance in 2017, which grows and develops Black and POC representation in photography and more recently co-founding Gather, an inclusion centred creative production agency, I have experienced first-hand the sandy foundations that much allyship is built upon. It often scatters in the wind when privileged individuals are required to give something that does not come freely. Whether that be remaining committed when promised tasks become inconvenient. Or paying a trainee creative assistant when they have access to financially privileged interns, usually white and male, who’ll give the same service for free.
Allyship is often inconvenient, uncomfortable and sometimes thankless.
To see Prince Harry use his white, male, privilege to walk away from his title and inheritance to stand in allyship against the racist treatment Meghan received during her time in the UK is not only admirable, it's rare. Allyship is often inconvenient, uncomfortable and sometimes thankless but if we are ever to shape a new, more equitable future, those in positions of power must share the burden that falls on Black and People of Colour (POC) in the UK. We cannot continue to expect the underrepresented to spearhead advocating for change.
I’m incredibly lucky to be able to work with many amazing allies through my diversity enterprises. It truly helps my businesses take wider strides to diversity than I would be able to achieve without the support. Most recently The Colour Balance has collaborated with ally Mitchell Studios, to raise up the voices of members of the Black and POC communities in virtual spaces, through an immersive 360° VR gallery experience: ‘Sonder'.
The exhibition gives four photographers from The Colour Balance network a platform to share some of their most inspired works and the exposure to display a project around the theme of lesser told stories.
The exhibition which features the works of photographers Ejatu Shaw, Jack Lawson, Khalil Musa and Serena Brown, launched on the 11th of March online and is free for everyone to access. The collaboration was born from a mutual ambition to challenge institutional racism in the arts that restricts access for talent from Black and POC backgrounds.
In a week where we have truly been moved by a woman of colour using her voice to speak truth to power, through ‘Sonder’ we hope to continue centring alternative narratives to the ones told in mainstream media by shining a spotlight on visual stories from marginalised perspectives.