Maverick Sabre,
musician

We have been categorised and divided deliberately. To view the colour of our skin or the choice in our faith as a factor to consider when judging how we should connect with each other. That perspective has been used to manipulate the masses for control, votes and distraction while the core of our hearts and souls reach out constantly for love and togetherness, knowing that the true power is as one. But we have not been allowed to realise that to its full potential because that means shaking the mainframe of what this world is built upon. There is true beauty in our differences and magic in our similarities.

To be connected to Ireland and feel the struggle of our history has to mean that we are understanding of all voices expressing the sometimes untold stories of oppression or bigotry, or even the told stories but unanswered cries. Who gave us these judgments, who benefits from our anger towards each other, what humanity are we missing when we dismiss another’s lived experience because we think we know it all. We must be anti-racism, with that we must be anti-classism, we must be anti-sexism, anti-homophobic, anti-bigotry in all its forms… because we cannot truly stand for one without standing for it all.

Don’t let their plan continue to work, if we don’t challenge our own ignorance then we stay playing their games. Be the voice of change. Ireland can show the world that with the changing face of the next generation can come a new part of Irish history.

Under the banner of all that we hold dear, our Irishness together with the wealth of all the beautiful cultures that are part of this island, a powerful story can be told. Let us be the ones that tell it.

Read Part 1 of 100 Voices: #AllAgainstRacism, in the current issue of Hot Press. Available to pick up in shops now, or to order online below:

Special thanks to the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission for their support in this project.