Looking for humanity

I turned 50 in 2021. Imagine my surprise when I learned that the Race Relations Act was younger than me (1976). It was only in 2010 that the equality act was created, combining all the anti-discrimination laws that came into being ever since 1970. Race, disability, and gender - change has been slow.

Less than 50 years ago, it became unlawful to discriminate based on race, colour, nationality (including citizenship), and national or ethnic origin. Less than two generations to combat hundreds of years of misconceptions, bigotry and unconscious bias created through culture and life.

'The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity' -Tolstoy

Choosing Humanity

Five decades have taught me that kindness, equality and inclusion are not commonplace but more the exception to the rule. Survival of the fittest, however, is often misconstrued. The bully, the oppressor or the rich can only rule when we let them. Strength is found in numbers, values, community, kindness and resilience.

So call me naïve and let me believe that humans learn from mistakes. Let me trust that our self-awareness, which makes us human, realises that we are not alone. Together hopefully, all of us will choose humanity and the kindness at the heart of it. Let me cling to this notion and hope that with every generation, kindness and compassion increase. Movements like #blacklivesmatter #metoo #ThingsDisabledPeopleKnow give me hope and strength. Strength to tell the type of story that too often is untold or ignored. Maybe, just maybe, it will make a difference.