Would you say you have a group of diverse friends?
Two days ago, i shared a thread on the Twitterer that kinda exploded a little bit [in a good way!]
With over 400 retweets and a whole lot of [mostly] positive engagement, it really felt like people were resonating with what was being said. So i decided to move it to a blog post as means of getting it in front of more eyes and being able to store it.
i made a whole lot of new friends and followers and love the continuing engagement around the idea of a diverse group of friends brought about as a result of some intentional decisions…
If you have not read these yet, please take your time and work through them and consider whether this invitation is something that could be for you…
One was where i chose to go to church. One was where we chose to live (Diep River, which is not the most diverse area but it's also not Constantia). What organisations i chose to volunteer with. Places where Black and Coloured people were.
— brett "Fish" anderson (@BrettFishA) September 11, 2021
In a country as diverse as South Africa and with such a checkered and violent past, i have been given the privilege of listening to stories from my friends, meeting their families, spending time with them, volunteering together and playing board games or having braais.
— brett "Fish" anderson (@BrettFishA) September 11, 2021
There's no virtue signalling here because i definitely feel like i have gained far more than i have given. And i am really just wanting to share the story to invite others who may not be there to consider making some different choices.
— brett "Fish" anderson (@BrettFishA) September 11, 2021
And i have been fortunate to add some Indian friends from Joburg and Durban to the mix. And as we chat and get to know each other, so trust increases and walls are broken down. We step towards each other and it is a beautiful thing.
— brett "Fish" anderson (@BrettFishA) September 11, 2021
And when an invitation to expand the circles of your life and friendship groups and author lists is met with a giant "F____ you!!!" from so many people on here, i am not going to sleep any worse tonight because i choose love and unity and diversity and difference…
— brett "Fish" anderson (@BrettFishA) September 11, 2021
So maybe before you rush to "What about" or F Bomb or childish meme, take an extra minute to just be quiet and listen and ask yourself a big "What if?" about what might happen to/for you if you lowered your defences a little bit and took the time to offer your friendship on here.
— brett "Fish" anderson (@BrettFishA) September 11, 2021
My friend Reinhold had this to say on FB today: Diversifying our friendship circles takes intentionality, as you rightly point out, Brett. And it is a beautiful thing that once you have tasted it, you can’t go back.
And that really is the truth. When you are there, trying to explain it to people who are only surrounded by people who look like them, it really can be difficult. But step into that space and you will never look back. And a benefit of it is that it can help you to start working on your internalised prejudice, stereotypes and more.
i hope this thread continues to spark reflections and conversations as it has done with so many people. And if you want to join in with other similar engagements happening on the Twitterer, feel free to follow me @brettfisha and let’s continue to talk and listen and reflect and change…
For white people wanting some more ideas for the “What can I do?” question some of you might have when it comes to race, there is a list of 40 ideas that i compiled that have been part of my journey of learning in that area.
A friend of mine created the site Racial Literacy which tackles a bunch of questions white people might have and if you are wanting to learn some more, check it out!
Leave a Reply