Is your allyship with BLM performative?

The truth is, BLM has always needed allies. Black people have always needed allies. Sure, posting an empty black square on Instagram may prove that you're not racist, but does it prove that your anti-racist?

Progressive movements (like the ones you see televised) are necessary. Moral and financial support is also needed.

Everybody's met a performative ally in their time. Whether its the brocalist at a party who claims to be a feminist, only to then get angry when a girl won't sleep with them.

It's the utter despair you feel when somebody starts a sentence with "We're all the same". Basically, performative allies have a lot to say but don't actually do anything. In other words, they say the right thing so they don't look problematic, but that's all they do.

Often, they'll derail the original conversation or concept. Take this into consideration when you consider the Black Lives Matter, black square issue on Instagram. The attention got drawn away from the real fight, and towards all those jumping onto the trend train. Was it productive in the long run? No. Was it even productive in the short run? No.

Afterwards, the so-called "allies" that jumped on the black square trend, then became defensive, and shifted the entire conversation to "should we be posting a black square?".

This pat-on-the-back behaviour is often performed by those with the most privilege. The fact remains, staying apolitical in times of turmoil is an active choice rooted in privilege.

To take a few seconds to post a black screen, or #BlackLivesMatter is not a brave, inspiring thing to do. It's an action that upholds the status-quo and enables willful ignorance.

We know, we keep bringing up the black square issue. That's because that's exactly what it was - an issue. It was a paradigm of destructive performatism. As the BlackLivesMatter information got drowned out, social media went quiet, and petitions remained unsigned, it proved to be more harmful than good.

Obviously, that's not to say that if you posted a blackout square, you're automatically a bad person. Of course not. If it's all you did, you had the right intentions, and you're almost there. You need to sign petitions, donate money, protest, and share more information.

P.S allies should not dominate the narrative, either. Which was evident with those blackout squares. Allies should amplify the voices that are being marginalised, not control the narrative.

What is clicktivism?

One of the biggest tellers for somebody being performative is clicktivism. What is this?

It's a difficult one to judge, especially during a lockdown. Obviously, petitions, sharing information, emailing politicians, and all that digital activism is a positive thing.

We've seen just how important this can be during the most recent Black Lives Matter protests.

However, clicktivism can be problematic, in some cases. Think, taking part in hashtag campaigns or a trend.

That is the people who will make one tweet about how #sad it all is and then resume to their normal life. These people will showcase to the world that they don't agree with something, while simultaneously doing nothing to change it.

The biggest offenders of this - brands. Brands who pay black women less than white women posting about BLM? Performative. In the same way, brands who post a rainbow logo during pride, while actively doing nothing to break down gender norms are performative. Just like the brands who post about female empowerment, while underpaying vulnerable women in third-world countries to make their products. It's all performative, and dangerous.

Of course, share information, sign petitions, and research. But don't stop there.

Should you play devil's advocate?

As a journalist, I have mixed feelings about this. The majority of the time, I would say yes - considering both sides of the story is a great idea. It's important that whether we're left-leaning or right-leaning, we try to be as unbiased as possible.

However, in conversations relating to systematic oppression, is it okay to consider "the other side". Wouldn't the other side, in these cases, be siding with the oppressor? Do we want to give opinions that lean that way?

Let's be clear. Racists have enough of a platform as it is, without performative allies speaking for them in a nuanced way. You don't have to play devils advocate, especially when it relates to people's lives.

How to not be performative

The first thing to note is that it won't be comfortable. Learning about these things can be exhausting, upsetting, and difficult. You will feel guilty, you'll feel angry, and you'll feel discouraged.

Here's what you should do:

Check-in on those affected - Remember, you're privileged enough to learn about this, not experience it. Check-in on friends and family, listen to them, be present, and comfort them.

Donate - Now, this is optional, obviously, it's your money. If you have some spare coins, there are a tonne of charities and organisations that need financial help. Activists have set up YouTube videos that are FREE to watch, that will donate 100% of ad revenue to the cause.

Educate yourself - Performatism means that you'll demand free labour from activists, by expecting them to teach you everything you need to know. With Google on your fingertips, you can find an array of resources that will teach you everything.

It's not about you - If you aren't a part of the black community, the conversation does not revolve around you. It's your job to use your voice to amplify marginalised communities.

Above all, make sure this allyship (whether new or old) is a life-long thing. Black Lives Matter is relevant all the time, not only when the hashtag is trending.