This is Why I Resist: Don't Define My Black Identity

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Yep – this definitely describes Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, a lawyer, public speaker and activist, and the author of This is Why I Resist, which is what we’ll be reviewing today. But firstly, more on Dr Shola.

This why I resist | TED Talk Shola Mos- Shogbamimu: This why I resist | TED Talk

I’ve dedicated a chapter in my book to deconstructing what racism is, deconstructing what white privilege is and what they mean in everyday life. Inclusive, exciting and focused, This Is Why I Resist is a fantastic point of reference for intersectional anti-racism work, no matter who you are.’ Munroe Bergdorf In her book, Dr Shola also explains ‘reverse racism’ and how whiteness can be weaponised – highlighting the case of Amy Cooper. Its author, Dr Shola has spent her life in anti-racism circles, studying how race affects people’s lives. She tells me, however, that the stars aligned in 2020 – so she could finally speak through her first book.The rest of the book goes on to describe and define racism in all its forms, using case study examples from The UK and The USA. With chapters such as “Does Reverse Racism Exist?”, “Who’s Playing The Race Card?” and “Can I Be Me?”, she goes in-depth into debunking the concept of “reverse racism”, explains why anti-semitism is not racism, and why discrimination against class and discrimination against race are not to be conflated. Being that her book was released last year, the examples she uses to support her arguments are still very fresh in our collective memories – I guess this makes her writing relatable and easy to understand. Direct, unapologetic and urgent in her message which centers on the individual doing ‘something now to break away from the structures that choke us, in all areas of life’, Mos-Shogbamimu, an activist, lawyer and political commentator, doesn’t disappoint with this book. A searing and striking read, the women’s rights activist and lawyer tells me that her work has been a couple of years in the making. British racism, as we all know, also carries its own special brand of subtlety. Dr Shola’s book, in contrast is anything but subtle.

This is Why I Resist by Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu

This is not about people pointing fingers and going ‘all white people are racist’, ‘cause that’s not true. All white people are not racist and I point out in the book that we have white allies who for the longest time, you know, over centuries, who have fought the good fight to end racial inequality and racial injustice, and some of them even lost their life and liberty in this good fight. I’m not saying ‘don’t get promoted’. By all means, you know, fly. I have no issue with that. But you have to fly at the expense of denying people who are from your ethnicity the opportunity to fly like you. For me, ultimately, the book is to say: don’t expect conversations about race, racism and race inclusion to be comfortable,” she says. It’s incredibly exhausting and almost like a vicious cycle that we have to keep explaining, trying to educate and trying to respond.”It’s not just about using the N-word or, you know, carrying burning crosses. The reality is that every single language or rhetoric we hear today existed 50 years ago, 500 years ago, so what we have to do is not shy away from fighting the good fight.” Like Dr Shola or not, one thing you cannot argue with is that she’s self-aware. She knows she’s a polarising figure and she understands that she makes the majority of Britons uncomfortable. But does she care?… Exactly. No. I think it’s important on the issue of race inclusion that we use every medium possible because every medium is already being used against race inclusion. So why not use the same medium to educate, to break down nuances, to make these subjects much more approachable by being yourself and saying ‘look, this is what this means’? What I’m doing there is deconstructing some very nuanced points in 60 seconds.”

This is Why I Resist’ by Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu ‘This is Why I Resist’ by Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu

The six weeks writing it were, she says, “emotionally exhausting and exhilarating at the same time”. We talk about last year, one in which, had it not also been combined by the worst pandemic in a century – although this has also highlighted extreme racial inequalities – would be remembered primarily for protests over race, the tumbling of statues, footballers taking the knee. In 2020, says Mos-Shogbamimu, “what people saw was that the lid was blown off the repressed and internalised suppression of speaking out”. I say to people, don’t shy away from the discomfort of speaking on these issues. If you don’t feel uncomfortable, then you’re not having the right conversation.”At last year’s virtual Conservative Party conference, home secretary Priti Patel condemned the tactics of BLM and Extinction Rebellion protesters, as she criticised the “hooliganism and thuggery” seen on the country’s streets. We know everyone’s going to be affected by the negative impact. What we have to do is not be silent, not fold our arms. We still have to bring our expertise to the table, we still have to hold the government accountable. We have to do better in voting in the right kind of politicians who have the political will to really bring this country together.” If you are interested in interviewing Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu for your TV show, Thought leadership articles,Newspaper or Publications, booking her for a live event or require any additional information regarding Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu then please fill in the enquiry form.

Mos-Shogbamimu: who is the This Is Why I Resist Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu: who is the This Is Why I Resist

She adds: “Not that we don’t have vocal voices. A lot of people have been vocal about a lot of the issues that were protested about last year. The point is, last year we even had staff, employees, saying to their employers, ‘this must change’. That’s a difference. You have organisations responding to ongoing social movements because they understood that their bank balance is tied to that. And I think that was the difference. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu is a lawyer, activist, political commentator and founder of the publication Women in Leadership. In this powerful talk, Shola makes a bold statement about why she will not be defined by the colour of her skin , gender or religion. Watch this talk to see how she engages the audience to join her revolution.We’re chatting about the issue vexing many New European readers at the moment – that is, what Remainers do next. Mos-Shogbamimu was a fervent campaigner, an attendee at rallies, but thinks the next move will be a long game. A racial gatekeeper is one who uses their influence, their position, their power, their voice, to pull up the ladder behind them. What they do is legitimise the divisive rhetoric, the oppression, the system of oppression used against people from their own ethnicity. And they do this for self-preservation. They do this for the benefits they get from their proximity to white supremacy. All of these incidents touched social media and our headlines, and they are reflected in Dr. Shola’s unapologetic prose. Unfortunately for Remainers, the negative impact that’s going to come from Brexit – this is not going to be like, you know, the plagues that hit Biblical Egypt,” says the 45-year-old.