Sunday saw me board the battle bus to take a trip with like-minded locals to represent our diverse town at the Stand Up to Racism March in Cardiff.
Super to see so many Barrians still taking a stand against inequality nearly two years after hundreds huddled up on King Square to show their solidarity with our racially diverse residents in the aftermath of the George Floyd killing.
Remember that bright, breezy day in June, right in the first throws of the pandemic, when we did the Black Matters Live protest properly, purposely and peacefully.
Seeing the scores of rallying residents gather on our most famous landmark to stand with our brave Barrians who have fought, both slyly subtle, and boldly blatant, racism all their lives was instantly inspiring and undoubtedly uplifting.
For me, the most powerful moment came when a respected speaker and activist asked all who had experienced any form of racism in the Vale of Glamorgan to step to the front – and every single, black attendee did.
Read that again.
Solid proof that there is still a long way to go in the fight for ensuring Black Lives Matter in Barry and beyond.
And credit, for once, to the Vale of Glamorgan Council for setting up a taskforce to tackle some of these issues through actively listening to the lived experience of our ethnic minority locals.
Not going to lie to you though, it doesn’t hurt to give the sometimes languorous local authority a gentle nudge every now and again does it.
All us activists know that sometimes you just have to keep it on the low, stay on track, and crack on quietly, to get the right result.
But now is the time, to scream strongly from the rooftops, protest peacefully in the streets, and stand up squarely to fight for the fairer society for our future generations.
Our very own Vale Branch of Stand Up to Racism are in the forefront of the Campaign.
I signed up straight away of course, and will be protesting peacefully, signing petitions, rocking up to many a meeting, taking the knee and pressuring politicians
Truth be told, staying silent, standing by, or just sitting at home, is not the answer that’s needed now – real action, real activism, real visibility, and real change is.
Now is the time for be actively anti-racist
Come join me.
Mrs SVJ
The Voice of Our Community
Sue Vincent-Jones, blogging as Mrs SVJ, is a Barry born journalist, editor, and activist. She writes about Barry – and her life in the wider world, through the eyes of a, quirky and queer, local girl done good.
Written exclusively for the Vale’s newest newspaper, and digital platform, The Glamorgan Star, her latest ‘Passing Comment’ column, an addition to the infamous Sue’s Views collection, can be found here.
Mrs SVJ, Barry’s Boldest Blogger, can be contacted here.