It does feel like movements such as Black Lives Matter are ‘an American thing’, despite the huge amount of all types of racism in the UK. There are currently protests happening in central London and Manchester but we are not allowed to use public transport at the moment and we don’t have any local demonstrations, meaning actively protesting just isn’t a feasible option for most Brits right now. In fact, the events of the past few days have caused arguments within my own all-white British family. Of course, I’ve always known about white privilege and I’ve always used it to take down racists both on and offline. Yes, these books will affect readers who can directly relate to the characters in a way that they couldn’t ever affect me but why on Earth should that mean that I can’t give them a platform in the first place? Honestly, I’m shocked and incredibly upset with myself for having long harboured this mentality. That these posts would be better written by bloggers who have direct experience with what these books talk about. I think this is because I’ve always felt like these are not my areas to sway into. It’s true that I’ve never written a recommendation post dedicated to one particular marginalised group. Hopefully my regular readers will know that this post is very much in line with my inclusive, diverse ethos and that I am simply using my white platform to amplify those of the unheard. Hopefully my regular readers will know that I actively seek out Own Voices books and that I’m constantly reviewing them or recommending them on this very blog. That I’m simply jumping on a bandwagon and cashing in on some internet clout amidst the horrors of what is happening in the world. There may be readers of it who will feel that my sudden creation of it is performative and that I don’t REALLY care all that much about what’s going on. I don’t think I need to explain too much about what has prompted this post.

Queenie alex haley