Culture Why It’s Okay To Just Listen Actor and Future Women Ambassador Zufi Emerson talks #BlackLivesMatter, growing up in Australia as a child adopted from Ethiopia and why the entertainment industry has a long way to go to eradicate racism. By Jordaine Chattaway Culture Actor and Future Women Ambassador Zufi Emerson talks #BlackLivesMatter, growing up in Australia as a child adopted from Ethiopia and why the entertainment industry has a long way to go to eradicate racism. By Jordaine Chattaway Previous article Australian Women And The Future Of Work Next article “We Know About More Than We’ve Been Able To Print” The #BlackLivesMatter movement started officially in 2013. Why do you think 2020 has seen a global unity for the cause, despite there being a global pandemic? The thing about Covid-19 is that we’ve all been forced to be on our phones and to absorb all this information. Everything we’ve seen in the past couple of weeks are things we already knew existed particularly racism, it’s brutality and how it’s embedded into foundations of our systems; it’s just now its taken a world to be in lockdown to have to reckon with something we’ve constantly switched off from in the past. For BIPOC it’s a conversation that has been had for ages. The difference is, in most cases, we don’t need videos or internet to know it exists on our streets and we do not get to switch off from it.Did you feel a shift in conversations around you? For sure. People, much like when we’re kids, see similarities. Most people in my life see the similarities before differences. Professionally, for people to pop out of the woodwork and suddenly want to be in the conversation, it was a bittersweet thing of “It’s nice you’re joining the conversation …” There was big difference in people taking action and wanting to change, and reaching out for a bandaid solution for that guilt. *This is an edited version of an extended interview – with additional commentary provided by Zufi. To watch the original Facebook Live interview hosted by Helen McCabe go to the Future Women – Members Only Facebook page and search: Zufi Emerson. blmcovid19fwlive Best of Future Women Culture “Never an excuse”: Why Katrina still can’t stand the smell of bourbon By Sally Spicer Culture Janine never thought divorce would mean losing her family and friends By Sally Spicer Culture “Invisible victims”: Why Conor was forced to live in an unsafe home By Sally Spicer Culture Miranda*’s mothers group helped her escape abuse. Then the stalking began By Sally Spicer Culture “We can’t change this on our own” By Melanie Dimmitt Culture “Marching forward means ensuring all our voices are heard” By Melanie Dimmitt Culture Dr Ann O’Neill’s husband committed “the ultimate act of revenge” By Sally Spicer Culture The question victim-survivors like me are tired of being asked By Geraldine Bilston Your inbox just got smarter If you’re not a member, sign up to our newsletter to get the best of Future Women in your inbox.
