S2 Ep #6 đź’› Sophie Williams, Anti-Racist Activist: Stop using us as Google! Why white people need to take responsibility for their own education (and how they can do it) [28-min listen]
“Marginalised people can’t opt out. We can’t stop. We’ve never had the choice to not be in this conversation.”
- Sophie Williams
Advertising exec-turned-author Sophie Williams was quietly preparing to promote her first book, Millenial Black, a manifesto for black women in business, when she unexpectedly became the voice of black allyship in the UK after one of her anti-racist Instagram posts went viral in June.
The post, prompted by the Black Lives Matter movement and offering guidance on how to be a better ally, ran on Blackout Tuesday attracting 50,000 new followers to Sophie’s Instagram account in less than a week and a repost from Justin Bieber.
Since then, 32-year-old Sophie, who has long been an anti-racism advocate and activist pushing for more diversity in her industry, has masterminded an anti-racist billboard campaign and amassed 170K Instagram followers as well as creating a charity web shop and signing a SECOND book deal, for Anti-Racist Ally: An Introduction to Action and Activism, which comes out later this year (available for pre-order now).
Self-development is about the ongoing process of becoming a better human, and in turn making the world a better place, and today’s conversation is a reminder that we all have a part to play in bringing about racial equality, whether we think we’re ready or not.
In this episode we cover:
how we can all make an impact, starting at home with our own networks
why it’s important to break our echo chamber
why it can no longer be left to marginalised people to fight for this change
the lack of business books that speak to black women
why you need to start before you’re ready
how to prepare for - and bounce back from - the “no’s” that will inevitably come with any activism work
The Anti-Racism post that catapulted Sophie’s Instagram account - and work - to stardom after being regrammed by Justin Beiber
DETAILS
b: Millennial Black (pre-order, out April 2021)
b: Anti-Racist Ally, An Introduction to Action and Activism (pre-order, out October 2020)