racism
Reclaim the Enlightenment
“History is never a sure guide to the future but one thing that we can be certain of is that empires rise and fall. That has been true of the British, French and Russian empires,…
‘Give them hope’ – four (or more) poems for the budget
Democracy shudders and trembles in the ‘red dawn’ but we can defy despair. Here’s four poems (and one more) offering a way to connect rather than divide winners and losers in the human race…’a funny…
The trouble with – and in – England
“It therefore seems plausible to suggest that the anomaly of the English – a powerful majority which often perceives itself as overlooked and ignored among the British nations – might play a role in explaining…
Black history and future in Scotland
In more than 20 years, Scotland has produced no Black MSPs, as we prepare for the most important election since devolution, Agnes Holmes reflects on her own experience as she explores obstacles facing Black candidates.
Truth springs from poetry…and dangerous women
For Nadine Aisha Jassat, poetry is activism. She used to used to whisper, “‘I’m a poet’, now I shout it from the rooftops and help others on their journey to shouting who they are, too.”
What are we stumbling into?
The Far Right made some big gains in the euro elections as angry voters backed anti-EU/nativist parties. Back to the 1930s? Amsterdam holds lessons
Confronting gender-based violence: Hopscotch by Nadine Aisha Jassat
This week’s Sceptical Scot poetry post is Hopscotch, by Nadine Aisha Jassat, a powerful, gut-churning challenge to gender-based violence.
Mother country, get it right
“British racism has evolved. We no longer see gangs of racist folks roaming the streets. They now wear suits and ties Some form political parties…” Benjamin Zephaniah’s poetic analysis of institutionalised racism has particular resonance…
The terrifying rise of Alt-Right fight clubs
‘They see physical fitness in a kind of racialized lens, as a way to cleanse the body and maintain this Aryan purity, but more practically: to actually be prepared for the race war, or skirmishes…
Social cohesion and racism in Scotland
“Yet, reading the humbling stories of voluntary groups working hard to assist integration, I am shocked to see one Polish support group refer to the high suicide rate among Polish people in Scotland.” In the…