Wallis Bird,
musician

Racism should be given no chance. At all. What breaks my heart is that racism is a learned behaviour. That means we choose to be horrible or we rise to meet ourselves, unlearn and cop on. It’s so fucking lazy to be racist, and I’m so glad to see it brutally exposed in my lifetime. It’s the very least we can do to understand and appreciate each other’s heritage – celebrate our cultural differences.

Read up about micro aggressions, look at media from other cultures, and if you’re white, then probably think twice before making that stupid comment. Racism has done nothing but encourage unnecessary hate, and at its very worst has given permission to murder, so I don’t care if someone calls me too soft. I just cannot deal with people who flippantly judge or rehash clichés about a people.

And I’m fully prepared to be schooled on a subject, scolded when wrong, I have to be. I want to grow up. Actively be better to people. Be softer. Be stronger. Call out a bully. Trust my gut. Be more open to people – and trust in the beauty of people.

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.