As we wrap up this season of BlackFor30, we engage in a conversation about the dynamics of leadership, the subtleties of societal structures, and systemic issues that often determine how a movement is perceived. We dissect the role of individuals and our collective responsibility towards our continent. We also challenge our own expectations of leaders and discuss the fallacies hidden in government rhetoric and the often misleading language of laws.
This season finale isn't just a mere reflection on our journey so far. It's a deep dive into how our thoughts have evolved and how the shared wisdom of our esteemed guests has left us challenged and enlightened. We also share the exciting initiatives we have planned for you.
Host:
Fungai Mutsiwa
Instagram: @ blackfor30
Co-host:
Sean Solole
BlackFor30 is a place for your voice to be heard. DM us your thoughts and questions @blackfor30 or via email at admin@blackfor30.com.
As we wrap up this season of BlackFor30, we engage in a conversation about the dynamics of leadership, the subtleties of societal structures, and systemic issues that often determine how a movement is perceived. We dissect the role of individuals and our collective responsibility towards our continent. We also challenge our own expectations of leaders and discuss the fallacies hidden in government rhetoric and the often misleading language of laws.
This season finale isn't just a mere reflection on our journey so far. It's a deep dive into how our thoughts have evolved and how the shared wisdom of our esteemed guests has left us challenged and enlightened. We also share the exciting initiatives we have planned for you.
Host:
Fungai Mutsiwa
Instagram: @ blackfor30
Co-host:
Sean Solole
BlackFor30 is a place for your voice to be heard. DM us your thoughts and questions @blackfor30 or via email at admin@blackfor30.com.
For a people who have not had the privilege of authoring our own history, we owe it to ourselves to at least understand who we were before we got colonized, to be able to understand where the version of ourselves that we are today is actually serving that true essence of what it is to be African or not.
Speaker 2:I have a dream today. Is it too much to ask you to grant us human dignity? Who taught you to hate the texture of your hair? Who taught you to hate the color of your skin to such extent that you bleach?
Speaker 1:For so many, many years, we were told that only white people were beautiful. You're afraid that if you give us equal ground, that we will match you and we will override you. Black is beautiful.
Speaker 2:Bring it, say it, I want it free.
Speaker 1:Bring it Usakangonidumbo Pawekachero, which means don't forget who you are or where you came from. Welcome to Black for 30. Thanks for pressing play and tuning into another episode of Black for 30. Before we get into the episode, as usual, just need to set a few seconds aside just to focus and get ready for this convo, and the 15 seconds starts now. Welcome to this movement of consciousness that is Black for 30. So, as you already know, I'm your host from Gaibnotsia, but today is going to be a little bit different. We're going to have Sean as the co-host running this one.
Speaker 2:Hello everyone, good to meet back.
Speaker 2:Feels like it's been a while yeah, and, like we did last season, well, this is the last episode of this season, so what we generally like to do at this stage is take stock of the season so far, give you guys a quick recap, but also it's an opportunity to pick our host's brain to see what he's picked up from this, what he's learned myself as well included what I guess would have been a standout episodes of the season as well, and also give you guys a quick, I guess a quick little teaser on what's supposed to come next season, where we're headed with that theme wise and a few other things that Black for 30 is cooking up for you. So, yeah, buckle up and here we go. So I guess the best way to kick it off is just to get your thoughts on what this season was like in terms of conception, how it's executed and, I guess, what you sort of picked up along the way.
Speaker 1:And a lot for sure. But I think, you know, one of the interesting things is when it's almost like you're getting constant reflections, right, because when I listen to an episode it's usually, you know, weeks or months after the actual recording and so it's like a it captures a point in time of you know what I thought about a particular thing. So it's always interesting when I see how that thought or that understanding has evolved in that space. And, yeah, I quite enjoy that. So, as far as you know, the process goes and again, going back to that, it's like with each episode you know you become like through the process of preparing for it to the discussion itself, and you know the thoughts exchange between myself and the guests. You mature in your understanding of certain things, so, and you also challenge yourself in certain, you know, conceptions that you have. So it's been very the process has been very valuable in that sense.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but, like, I think what I'm really grateful for is how it's made me even more hungry to do more and, you know, create more content and find more ways to engage the public. You know, because I think a lot of these discussions for at least as far as I've observed are reserved for, you know, the intellectuals or academics, and which is not a problem, but it only, I only see it as an issue when it is only limited to that group of people, because everyone needs to be on that same level of consciousness for it, for all of us to, you know, collectively function towards a similar purpose, right? So yeah, I think that's been my taking in as far as the whole process throughout the year All right.
Speaker 2:Right, that's an interesting take and it does, I guess, what you mentioned before when you said it captures a moment in time. I guess, just reflecting on that it does give. I guess we're in a unique position being the host and then you know, being able to first of all speak to someone in that moment about you know whatever topic, because you don't know what their response is going to be, you don't know what doors it's going to open. So essentially, both of you are kind of in a learning moment. But then you're, but then you're in also both of, I guess you know, being the host and also the guest. We're sort of both in that unique position where it's like you say these things, you know you have your thought process and you know you're having this candid conversation and then what your takeaways are from that conversation, and then, when the episode actually drops, a few months later, you know you're in that position again to be like, okay, well, a few things.
Speaker 2:Well, for most of us, you know a lot of things have happened in that time. It could be two months, three months down the track, right. So you know, in that time, the hope is that you've done, I guess, a bit of growing a bit, of maturing. Sometimes it's for the, you know, the hope is, the majority of the time is for the better, but you know, sometimes you regress a little. We are human.
Speaker 2:So there is that unique perspective where you get a different take on your thoughts from a few months back into the person you are now, which is, like you said, it's a very interesting concept where it's like you capture what you were thinking a few months ago and you know, you get that idea, like you get that thought process verbatim again when you hear it, when you release the episode.
Speaker 2:And yeah, it is quite an interesting, I guess, experience, because then you, well, from the listener, we have this different, I guess, vantage point where the listener can listen to it, you know, multiple times, but their involvement of it is a little bit different and what their takeaways from it are a little bit different as well. So I guess, in saying that we do, we do both learn and also share these experiences all at the same time, but we just all doing it, I guess, in different ways at different times. Yeah, yeah, which is it's an interesting concept, I guess to look at and you know it is good to sort of see that, or at least being from the listener's perspective. It's not just us. We're gurgitating information because we are also taking these things in, and it's something new that we're learning from these processes.
Speaker 2:So it is. Yeah, I guess it's good to sort of see behind the unique take that we get in regard to that.
Speaker 1:It even becomes more interesting when you approach a lot of the conversations, listening, accepting that you don't have to believe what the other person says, but at least understand it Right. And also the motive is not to be right or to be proven right, but more, I guess, hearing how nuanced the conversations are, because and again, you know, speaking to just my experience with speaking to different guests is how the problem of or the issues that Black people face are seen differently depending on you know the person's experience. So so the version of what one person thinks is really wrong with the Black community is quite different to another.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, that's, that's very true. And I guess, looking at it from our perspective here being obviously, you know, one part of a very large African community here in Australia I guess the main thing is that all our experiences are very different. How we got here is different, why we're here is different, you know. The time spent here is different, you know our end goals are all different. So, but the main thing that we have, I guess, together is the you know the fact that we are Black, we are African, or we, you know you are African.
Speaker 2:So it is, I guess, good to sort of show that each experience may be, you know, lived differently, but you know the circumstances, like all, the end result may be similar, or the cause of it may be similar.
Speaker 2:You know it could be racism, it could be neurons, it could be, I don't know. Whatever systematic issues there are, yeah, yeah, but you don't, you're not necessarily alone in that regard. It may happen to you at a different company, at a different state, in a different city, but you know the, the main court, like the main, there's always main sticking points, there's always, you know, those keywords that keep coming, that keep coming up. So, yeah, it does, I guess, open up that door a bit more to understanding other people's experience and experiences are not just rushing to judgment the how and the why of things. I think Probably what's more important or what we need to, I guess, become a little bit more accustomed to finding out first before we go too far, because I feel like that's the basis of understanding is someone's motivation or you know how it happened, why it happened. You know they tend to go a long way in terms of pushing the narrative of understanding a lot further than just your conventional you know, speak and respond type of thing.
Speaker 1:For sure, for sure, you know. You just took me back to the episode we did about no family feud right, or the family yeah, no family feud right, where it's like. Ultimately, we are all different but we have a lot of similarities and our issues, you know, share a lot of things in common. So there is value in me respecting and acknowledging that. You, sean, have your own experience and you know. It therefore means that you know how you interpret certain things is going to be different. But I also understand that you are black and you, and so therefore we have similarities in terms of the things that we struggle with, right from our, you know, in terms of the issues that we face in society. There's a lot of crossovers. So there's room for me to be able to. I think we've got to cross that difference that we have, whether it's because I'm from Ghana and I tell you that Jolof is from Ghana and then you're from Nigeria, or, in natural fact, jolof is from I think it's from the horn.
Speaker 2:I don't know, but anyway. Oh look, I don't know if we have time to buy a silver water right?
Speaker 1:You don't know me, but it's like. But then, in terms of the priorities that we have on the issues that black people face, jolof is way at the bottom right. So let's talk about Jolof once we are in a place where you know we have functioning economies, we have functioning countries, we have good leadership. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, and that's look, especially what you're saying for that specific episode there. It also brings up, like, like what's that saying? The ties that bind right. So, because you know of humanity as a society, we are very much social creatures. We are drawn to each other based off of similarities. Now, unfortunately, skin color happens to be one of those, and the idea is that at least you know those of this of the same skin color, especially if you know you've the majority of you have experienced oppression at some level, or racism or discrimination based, you know, either gender, race or combination of all, to at least have those conversations and show that you're not alone in these experiences. It does, you know, I guess bring about a brighter spotlight on that same.
Speaker 2:You know the ties that bind because the more that we think people don't understand us. Or, you know, in our times of need, in our times of darkness, where you think, okay, no one understands me, no one sees me for what I'm going through, and then you know, I don't know. Some people hear a song, some people watch a movie, some people read a poem, some people read a book, some people speak to other people, but then it's just a quick reminder to be like, hey, this is not just you know specific to you. These people have experienced it and it allows, I guess, that conversation to continue to flow. You know, minus the whole. You're from Nigeria, you're from Ghana, you're from here, you're from there.
Speaker 2:You know, now we take away the borders, which I guess, as Africans we were. That's how we started off. You know was you went by your tribe. There was no borders. You moved how you felt. That's why people could speak. You know multiple languages, because you were never limited to one spot. There were no lines that marked this territory. It'd be different from that territory. It was just you move as you pleased. And I feel like you know the adaptation of some of these western valleys where it's your own household, to yourself. It's very much in direct contradiction to what we see happening in Africa right now, where you know there's still people still living villages, which is a very normal thing. They still prefer those communities, they still prefer to stay connected together because of those things and they flourish, if you notice, whereas you know the Africans that are now, more you know westernized they're using, more you know western ideal, taking on the western ideologies you know, such as us.
Speaker 2:you find that it's a lot quicker to feel isolated because we're not having those constant reminders that we are all part of a certain group. And I feel like you know, black for 30 aims to, I guess, be one part that tries to address these issues, you know, via the means that we do, which I think is good, because you know we've had guests come on from the UK, from Kenya, from, you know, all over, and that's good it's, I guess, in this world, in this, you know, technological world, at least it allows us to be able to broaden those conversations. But I feel like that should not make us forget how it is that we got to be where we are. You know, a quick reminder, I guess, is what people need on occasion.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's funny as you're saying that as well, like I'm also realizing that you know a couple of the episodes that really stuck out for me in this season. All speak about history in the sense that you know. So the one that we recently did, which was the a bio series of Aim Cisera, right, when we were talking about the Negretude movement, and then I also had the opportunity to interview Mishik Samanyanga, and this was talking about the importance of telling our story and our heritage through genealogy. You know, so did this.
Speaker 1:You know, and I know it's spoken about a lot in a lot of circles, right, the whole concept of returning to the roots. So it's not a new concept in that sense. But probably where a lot of people then lack is the follow through, the action that then meets those words. Because, yeah, for sure, sankofa, right, return to our roots, because it's day and I'll, you know, always refer to this our roots, our history Oriensis and aligns us with today. You know, because now I'm able to understand why we practice certain traditions. I'm able to understand why, you know, observing this particular practice is of value not just to my people but me as an individual. Right, you were referring to how the western model of living, where everything is almost in isolation in comparison to what it's like back home. Right when you're home, you almost know the whole hood, you know and every yeah, so from the family you know the parents to the whole family and vice versa, they know your parents and your family as well, right?
Speaker 1:and you know that whole notion about it takes a village, right? So it's like knowing those things and learning about those ideologies and traditions that we practice is a healthy form of informing. You know what we should value as Africans, like I'm a proponent of. You know, and this is not me saying that as an African, you should only follow African ideologies and traditions. I think all I'm saying is for people who have not had the privilege of authoring our own history. We owe it to ourselves to at least understand who we were before we got colonized, to be able to understand where the version of ourselves that we are today is actually serving that true essence of what it is to be African or not, right? So your decisions are guided a little bit different as opposed to where we live, and assume that you know the Western ideology or the Western framework is the only point of view to look at the rest of the world.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's quite a good point. Actually, and speaking of ideologies, like the main themes of, you know, pretty much Black, for 30 has been exploring some of these movements that you know championing African repatriation, african Union, you know, or not just African, but you know black American, or Latin American, or Caribbean, you know, or the Caribbean, you know, movements, as long as it's, you know, afrocentric, you know there's been movements all over the world that are championing, you know, black rights. And my question more lies with you know you mentioned the aim. We've spoken multiple times about the Panthers and Alkamax, the nation of Islam, martin Luther King, you name, kwame Krumah, all of those people.
Speaker 2:The main theme is that there's always someone with an idea about how to improve Black rights or an idea about how Black people should proceed, because they've had an understanding of their roots and they feel, you know, this is the way to go. From, obviously, these conversations, what do you think the problems that those guys were facing? What do you think they were and do you see that, I guess, reflected in the movements today and how are they sort of tackling? You know, is there a similarity in the problems that they're finding and how are they tackling them? Yeah, yeah, yeah, like this.
Speaker 1:And you know, initially, my I think my thoughts were focused on leadership, right, in a lot of these movements, organizations, countries, what you have, you know, I think that's because that's a conversation that dominates a lot of the platforms when it comes to, you know, any reference as to why some of these movements have declined. So it still remains an issue. Leadership, for sure, like you know, around how a lot of stuff is leader centric, right? So, because that's always the focal point, so people almost leave their concerns into their hands and it kind of changes how we think about it, right, because now we don't think that these politicians, these leaders, owe us the lives that we deserve as Africans, as citizens of the continent, but instead we think it's a privilege. If you know, they somehow get to it, you know. So it then dictates how we're able to let that go by without demanding it, you know, because we don't feel like we're owed and with a lot of leadership, right, I feel as if there's a lack in clearly defining what the purpose is, what the purpose of the organization with movement is, but then also just focusing on the leaders themselves.
Speaker 1:There's an issue around defining what we expect of a leader and what we define as a competent leader, right. So until we can do that, I feel like there's a problem, because we will prop up leaders who don't necessarily deserve the mantle, right, false prophets, right. And look, I think there's several other bits to touch on when it comes to leadership, so, like, I'm going to leave that one alone. I think what I'm really interested in is the people, because not a lot of people talk about the people and I feel like they have such a big part to play and they hold part of the blame as to why this is the case that you know, for hundreds of years, we're still facing the issues that we face, yet there have been so many movements and initiatives that have come across the years, right, so I think you know there's that famous or really popular saying, right, even the devil can quote a scripture right so that's how I see you know the public in terms of, so you know the risk of the black caucus, so to speak.
Speaker 1:In terms of it's easy to point out and observe a problem. It's a different mindset and skill set altogether to act on that problem towards resolving it. So I think there's a lot of people right now who have the appetite to be, you know, activists, I guess more in the social sense of it, but then not necessarily active activism, right? So people don't quite have the courage yet to actually act. And also, like, when you think of Zimbabwe as an example, right, and the issue is not unique just to Zimbabwe, but with a lot of the conversations we have about our freedoms or our liberation, there's a divide between the urban and the rural as well, right, where we feel as though it's only you know, the city boys or you know those in the urban areas who have the intellectual capacity to be able to have these conversations, and they feel as though the people in the rural areas don't qualify, right, yeah, Yet the Irish.
Speaker 1:Yet the irony is that people from the rural areas are the most rooted, I'd love to believe, in terms of our culture and our traditions. Right, because that those are the areas where it's been preserved.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So there's that disconnect. So the people who are living in the urban areas, it's you know, they're almost misguided in some ways, because they're not even rooted to the true essence of their culture, right? So like, how can you speak to something you know little about, right, how can you be passionate about something you know little about?
Speaker 2:That you're not actively practicing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so people are unable to understand the moral obligation that we have, that each African has, to the continent. Right, because, as much as we like it or not, we are products of our ancestors. Right, and I may not be able to name them all, but I know that the fact that you know my ass in 2023, is able to live and have a life in Australia is something they would, some of my ancestors, never would have been able to imagine. Right, but they were able to do what they did to give us, you know, this form of liberation, of freedom that we have today, knowing they would never enjoy it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, that's an interesting point that you make there actually, and let me just make sure that I've got everything that you were saying in there. So, essentially, we tend to focus on leadership a lot in these movements, correct? And the main thing, which I think I've probably said a million times, is that the reason why a lot of these aren't successful is because usually you just get rid of the leadership right? So unfortunately, the fact points to the fact that for any sort of pro-black, pan-african or whatever else movement towards black rights, how it's begun, generally all you have to do is cut off the head of the snake and the rest will die essentially. And I think, like in regards to that, that makes perfect sense, because when you look at how society is, we generally put one person on a pedestal, one, two people on a pedestal. So what society is saying basically is they're dictating how we should present a movement and generally you get one or two people.
Speaker 2:If you look at the civil rights movement, the predominant names were Malcolm and Martin right, the founders of black panthers were Bobby Seale and Hugh E P Newton. So it's either one person or two people who are just driving this vehicle along, and the rest of the people? Yes, they have. Like you said, they're not activists essentially. So now you have a varying spectrum of people who are down to die for the cause, right down to our dirty fingers. Now, unfortunately, like a pyramid, as with any leadership structure, it gets thicker towards the bottom doesn't it.
Speaker 1:So the greater concentration.
Speaker 2:You take from that what you will, okay, but it definitely gets a lot thicker down the bottom, doesn't it? And I think that's where the issue lies, is that the structure of these movements is not everyone equal. It's you always have to have a leader first, someone who tells you what to think, how to feel, how to react, how to respond. Because even if you look right now, whenever something happens, who do we look to to issue a statement about what's happened?
Speaker 1:Do you know what I mean? Like in a lot of places. No one.
Speaker 2:Black people yeah, black people don't have anyone to run to at the moment. You know Jay-Z is now one of the people that I guess is thought of when something happens in America. You've got to find out what Jay-Z is it's in IC bro.
Speaker 2:Literally so. It's a vote by popularity essentially. But you know, when you look at on a national level, you know you always have statements from ranking members of some government. You know your prime minister, your president. They say something Kind of like what we're seeing in the Middle East at the moment. Not that we want to get too much into that, that's a whole other bag. But you see, these people issue statements. You know the everyday person is not being listened to, is not being heard, because for some odd reason we have decided that it's okay that we should have a spokesperson. Now we've forgotten that spokespeople can be tainted, can be corrupted. If we all have the same idea, if you all are on the same page about a movement, you don't necessarily need a leader because anyone can speak for you. Is that? Yeah, so that's from what you're saying. That's basically. I think if we keep worrying about leadership, we won't get far, because you can easily sway the leaders of any movement towards something and like you know exactly right.
Speaker 1:You know there's the leadership plays a role, and then I don't need to sit here and describe to you the problem of black people because you're a black person, so therefore you live through it right and that applies for everybody. So for me it's more in institutionalizing the movement, because whenever it's just grassroots, there is no, there is no, there are no formal structures. There's no, there are no formal obligations. There are no formal responsibilities for people. They're. It's not sustainable.
Speaker 1:There's no continuity built in to allow the fact that you know Bobby Seale can die and the movement will live on because everyone, from the middle management all the way down to the bottom of the pyramid, everybody understands not just the purpose but what the goal is. Right. So everyone is just skilled differently. So everyone plays a different role within the organization, within the struggle, within the movement. But once everybody is able to understand and internalize the ethos and what that organization stands for, you know we're in a different place altogether. Right, because you know that, you know you could die and I could die, but what Black 430 stands for? Lives on that's right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and look that's. I guess once that thought process evolves from, who's in charge is going to tell me what to do to? I've got you know, there's me and there's Fungaya, and then there's someone else and we all have the same idea.
Speaker 2:If I'm missing today, you can speak up just as confidently as the next person. You know what I mean. And the idea is still there. I think the problem is that one person has the idea and then they preach the message because, you know, a lot of people talk about Malcolm was such a captivating speaker, or Martin was such a good orator, whatever it is, but they are the only ones who had that idea Right. What we don't, what we need is more idea people and a lot less listeners, and once these idea people get on the same page about what idea they're going to push, we are going to be stuck in the same nonsense that we see, like with black lives matter. Now the CEO had to step down because of questions about her lavish lifestyle, you know, over these donations, like because there was no one else to keep her in check. If everyone is equal in that, you know we all have a say and an equal vote. There's no one. That outranks anyone. Half this stuff wouldn't be happening.
Speaker 1:And going back to what I was saying before about if we don't understand what we expect out of our leaders, then we'll pick the wrong people to be our leaders. You know the black lives matter situation, right it's like. So you then have faith in something. You know we talk a lot about co-op, the government co-op thing, right, and it also applies when it comes to not having clear understanding, clear understandings or clear expectations of what our leader should be, because you have situations where the government will then step in and create initiatives, programs that will fool us into believing that they are designed to address the systemic issues that we face, and then we fast forward 10 years, 15 years, 20 years, after those programs or those movements or those initiatives have been started, and then we realize there really hasn't been that much progress. You know, I'll give you the, the Civil Rights Act as an example, right, so that was 1964, I think. And so, and I mean it's already crazy that we're asking just for civil rights. You know what I mean? Not equal civil.
Speaker 2:Sure, we had to just be nice to us please.
Speaker 1:So 1964, the Civil Rights Act is passed. But then when you look at what it was actually doing, so in order for that, for them to pass it into Congress and everything, right. So obviously they had to sanitize it a bit. So you're finding that when it was then put through, a lot of what it was actually doing was, you know, it was looking at addressing access to, like, access to public accommodation, education and some elements of housing, right. But then when you look further into those issues, they didn't address funding, access to funding for schools, right. So so now it's okay for little Bobby to go to the same school that some white person goes to, but the thing is that white person is going to really fancy school which is all on the other side of the neighbor, right, where they probably can't get. They don't have enough money to be able to go to that school to attend it, so they can only go to their hood. But, they heard, doesn't get any funding from the government, right? So they have shitty ass teachers If that. They've got a crap curriculum, right, no amenities. But then they expected to have the same outcome as a kid who's going to really fancy, well funded school, right.
Speaker 1:You look at housing, for example. Right, so they. Civil rights act was, you know, tackling discrimination within the housing sector? Right, but then redlining still existed. Right, so at the surface they looked as though they were addressing housing discrimination because off for sure you can go, you can go apply for a loan.
Speaker 2:We're not going to stop you Whether you get it is different Right.
Speaker 1:So so, technically, I'm not discriminating you on the surface, because it seems as if there's this law that's been passed and so now I can access the same bathroom or the same toilets or the same restaurants as as white people. So there must be change, right, and for sure there is change. But then the issues we face are systemic, right. So it's like so until we are in a place where a lot of us have a firm understanding of what is happening, our issues are and what the current climate is, we allow ourselves to be able to be led by incompetent leaders or be pacified by the government.
Speaker 2:So essentially like that's like with the Civil Rights Act, I guess it was just lip service in order to, I guess, calm down the masses of angry blacks, and because the idiots there didn't really look at the wording, because no one ever really looks at a bill in full right Like a government bill, and it's mainly because this information back then was not as readily as available as it is now.
Speaker 2:And the thing about those bills is that they are laid onto some other stuff. They're not just give black people rights. No, no, no. There has to be six, seven, eight, nine, 10 things underneath that bill. We just don't know about it because they always talk about the one at the top. So essentially what they did is just they went from removing the signs that say no blacks, no colors, and then they changed the wording up to say we have the right to refuse entry.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:And then we took that around.
Speaker 1:And so that's the thing where it's like I don't know if the government will stop doing that or when the government will stop doing that. So, for us, I don't think we should dedicate our energy towards, you know, seeking more assistance from the government, because they've repeatedly shown how they don't care as much as you know they so claim. So, then, our energies should be dedicated to figuring out our own solutions, because that is the only alternative. We've got left right, because we have been promised for so many times over and over and you know we always talk about this right the concept of equality, the concept of the equity hinges heavily on the rest of society believing we are owed those things. So until they believe it enough to the point where they choose to act, this is going to keep happening.
Speaker 2:So essentially what the message is here is self-reliance is king right, and I guess this is now will be more for the viewers, but I think it'll be that's. This is pretty much where the upcoming season of Black for 30 is going to be headed more towards. It's more solutions based. No, we'll be more looking at, I guess, these movements in greater detail. You know the Black Panthers, you know your Pan-Africanist movements, your Marcus Garvey's movements, in a bit more detail, in what they were attempting to do, what could tell them, and then, obviously, what in terms of self-reliance, in terms of you know, this renewed sense of self and culture. That's where you know, that's where we're going to be directing energies for Black for 30. Is that a correct assumption?
Speaker 1:Yeah for sure, like. So the way I'm seeing next year is in two parts, right that you know we're talking about this earlier. That part of what makes it difficult when we're having a lot of these conversations, whether amongst ourselves or with other people from other races or cultures, is everyone starting from a different point of understanding. So, until so, we first need to fully understand the context, fully understand our problems for us to understand why it matters for us to be having these conversations, for why it matters for us to, you know, talk about collective effort. So we next year.
Speaker 1:For me, I think it's focusing on two things, right, making sure that we all have a shared understanding of our history, our heritage, our culture and the problems that we face. And then the second part to it is that then informs our agency, right? Because now I understand that, yes, I work as an artist and, yes, there's limited spaces for my art to be exhibited for reasons that are out of my control, right, in as far as our race. So what should I do as an artist? You know as and it's not obviously the, you know, the artist is just an example here, but then this applies on a lot of different levels.
Speaker 1:So what do I then do as an artist to be able to exhibit my work, and for you that may be looking for other artists who are facing the same issues, because you know, again, our problems are not unique. And then you collaborate, right. You find free spaces there are a lot of free spaces. You know where you can set up without having to pay for venue costs, for example, right, and you can advertise for free, because everybody nowadays almost has Instagram. You know everybody and their dog has Instagram. So you can, you can do that, right, and so it's like so for me. I think, really understanding the problem then fine tunes how we approach them, because the reality is, it's going to be a really long time until, as a black artist, you can just have your work easily exhibited in the best or, you know, the most notable galleries or museums, right?
Speaker 1:So they don't have that much of an incentive to do that for you. So the onus then lies on you to be able to understand how do I then address these issues right? And of course that means part of it, because I don't want people to then think that it just means it's easy. It's not. It's going to be an uphill battle, it's going to require making sacrifices that you're not comfortable with, right. So it's like so unless you are uncomfortable to the point where you want to act, then you will forever just observe the problem right.
Speaker 1:You'll ever just be. You'll forever just be a spectator.
Speaker 2:So, in terms of, I guess, resources or maybe maybe side project or tools that, let's say, black for 30 would have, is there anything else that I guess would be coming up that would supplement the podcast and the Instagram page?
Speaker 1:Yeah, for sure, for sure, I think. So I'm excited that, like, we're going to have a newsletter, because I've always wanted to have one, because I subscribed to a couple of newsletters, right, and I like it, because I don't have the time to be constantly online and consuming content, so I always like having a little, you know, a little summary of key takeaways. So I don't, you know. So a quick two minute read or five minute read gives me what I need to, you know, learn something new or, you know, look at life, you know, from a slightly different angle. So I find them valuable in that sense that they collate all you know, like little bits of key information, and so that's essentially what I'm hoping to do is where, you know, there's a lot of stuff that we cover and also don't cover in these discussions. So the newsletter is basically bringing all of that together and it's more of a reflection piece as well to it. So that's definitely one of the tools I'd say that, will, you know, supplement the show.
Speaker 1:And well, the biggest thing that will be coming next year is the events right, which we briefly mentioned, I think, earlier, where the idea is about, you know, exploring different mediums to continue these conversations. You know in as much as I enjoy these discussions. At the same time, it's only limited to two people, right, and for me, I have a huge interest in a lot of other people becoming a part of this conversation. So the events that I'm looking at exploring are, you know, it's going to be a combination of, you know, our culture, with you know, some of these important topics and themes that we're exploring.
Speaker 2:So basically, like you know, discussions, forums, that sort of thing.
Speaker 1:More in the sense of the discussions, because usually you know you would have them as panel discussions and again they kind of fall into a similar bracket of you know the show. So they're less about that but more about creating a space where people can consume the art and culture but then also get into conversations organically.
Speaker 1:With like-minded people, yeah, so, and or not so, like-minded people as well, but the idea is it's open to everybody for people to consume as they will, but then also learn about what Africa is, because there is such a spectrum that we haven't even begun to tap into, especially here in Australia. So, you know, exploring that rich tapestry of African culture and creating those spaces that we talk about, where you know we want to be meeting people, that we can, you know, explore more of these ideas. Yeah that's right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, oh, that's so. That's interesting because, yeah, like you said, especially with you know, art, music. There is a lot of you know artists, musicians out there who, not only you know, have their own, I guess, unique sound or unique art or whatever it is that they have, but they are adapting it to their circumstance, so they could be diaspora. There could be someone who was born here, like you know, first generation African Australian of some sort, or you know whatever else, whatever else have you. So it's a combination of the African culture, the Australian culture and whatever other influences they have you know, from other artists as well. So, yeah, that's, it's a good take on, I guess, trying to showcase those things more often, because you know a lot of us wouldn't have, I guess, an idea of who's doing art. It could be someone that you know about, or you know the person, but you don't know that that's what they're doing outside of. You know their nine to five or whatever else have you.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, it's a good avenue, I guess, to sort of continue these conversations and to create new ones too. A better experience is going forward.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like you know what better way to tell a story than through art?
Speaker 2:Because, yeah, it opens you up to how people perceive what it is that you've, you know, produced. It's an interesting, I guess, dynamic to create something and then have people dissect it based on what their understanding of it is Because now you're learning something new as well.
Speaker 1:Exactly To win-win.
Speaker 2:Look it sounds, you know, I guess sounds like there is quite a lot of things to look forward to coming up next season and, I guess, to all you listeners out there, if you are about that militant life, I am proud to say you can look forward to more militant conversations happening from next season, and if there are any topics that I guess we've missed and you may like to hear, you know, always feel free to give us a shout on Instagram. Blackford 30, Spotify we're on there iTunes, as well as a website as well, if I'm correct.
Speaker 1:Yeah, all Blackford 30.
Speaker 2:So you know, hit us up and is there any final words, any going out words for you?
Speaker 1:No, really, I feel like I have. I have spoken my heart out For 2023.
Speaker 2:Look, it's been a journey, it's been a trip and you know, I think we can just say to all you people out there stay safe. Shit's going crazy. You know, be wary, research, you know, look around, you, learn new things, but you know, stay ready, I think, and, as always, stay black.
Speaker 1:I hope this was a learning experience to adopt and change the way you think and live. The goal is for us and that includes you to be able to see ourselves for who we are, so we can accept the person in the mirror and begin to value ourselves. Whether you agreed, opposed or were offended by some of the content, I encourage you to engage with me so we can have positive discussions and try to understand each other. So send your comments, reviews or feedback to our Instagram, black430, or an email to admin at black430.com. If you believe someone will benefit from this episode, please share it. When you get to the end of this recording, please subscribe to Black430 wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you for your time. Thank you for your time and I wish for you to join me again.