Speaking truth to power

This will be my last article for Operation Black vote, and I would like to thank everyone at OBV for nurturing me and giving me a home to work from. I would also like to thank the readers and supporters of OBV for reading my articles and supporting me through this process.

When I started at OBV, I couldn’t have imagined the reach, support and the wide influence the organisation has- as well as, the effects it has had on me both personally and professionally. I would like to think my work for OBV has made a small difference, in-highlighting and bringing to attention the many issues that plague us. It has been a learning-curve for me- of which I personally feel enriched.

There are many philosophies on the point-of-journalism; indeed the phone-hacking scandal has brought the ethics of journalism into the spotlight. Of course- as some will point-out, it was good investigative journalism that led to the exposure of the scandal. However, all journalism was tainted-because of this.

Journalists are sometimes seen as entertainers that give the public whatever it wants, regardless of how dirty they have to get in order to get the story. It is important to remember that the most important thing to professional journalists is the audience. They will often look for things and frame stories in conjunction with their audiences prejudices. They merely reflect the ‘wider prejudice’ of their readers, viewers and listeners.

In our day and age, journalism is not longer about the ‘professional journalistic classes’, social media, internet and other technologies have de-centralised journalism. OBV, has been part of that de-centralisation process- they have embraced the liberty afforded by the internet and have sought to return Journalism to its core values.

Speak-truth to power

Speaking the truth to power is the central tenant of journalism, one which many in the professional media class have forgotten. In-between the titillation of celebrate gossip, there are real people with real lives out there.

The real people, us, used to be called ‘the voiceless’- however, smart phones, computers and social media have given us the tools to have a powerful voice. More importantly, organisations such as OBV have channelled these voices and turned them into political demands for reform.

BME communities in-particular have suffered from lack of representation and lack of a powerful voice. OBV’s message is simple- no one else will help you. We must learn to help ourselves. Do not wait for reform and equality demand it. There needs to be a paradigm shift, a revolution of the mind. Sadly they (the political establishment) does not speak for us, we must speak for ourselves. We must begin to demand our democratic rights and equality: good education, health care, being protected not harassed by the police. And of course the opportunity of decent job. The basics.

We have the right to all these things for ourselves and our children. We have the right to democratic representation. We have the right to live is safety, without fear of collective retribution, oppression and injustice. We have the right to live our lives without the threat of tyranny. We have a right to equal wealth distribution, the ability to pursue jobs fairly and the right to celebrate our cultural diversity.

Only we can demand this. OBV is only as good as its supporters. It is this that I learned at OBV and now it is you that must carry the mantle further. At the time of writing, attacks against Muslims is high- Black youths are disproportionally discriminated against in the judicial system and we are all demonised in the national media. I encourage all those who read this article to challenge and speak-truth to power by whatever means possible. Become journalist if you must. There is much work to be done. I will leave you with the words of George Orwell.

“The war is not meant to be won, it is meant to be continuous. Hierarchical society is only possible on the basis of poverty and ignorance. The new version is the past and no different past can ever have existed. In principle the war effort is always planned to keep society on the brink of starvation. The war is waged by the ruling group against its own subjects and its object is not the victory over either Eurasia or East Asia, but to keep the very structure of society intact."

To me the clear message here is don’t be neither ignorant nor idle, learn and be active so we may prevent the horrors of the past repeating itself.

Usman Butt