Page 69 - Poems by Alyson Malach - Childhood to Adulthood

“I am not racist”. But are you an�- racist?

An�racism, it's more than just a show,
Not box-�cking, tokenism, there is more we need to know.

In rooms where voices gather, let change begin to thrive,
Diversity's the key, the truth for which we must strive.

I stand as the token, in your world, I am all alone,
A Black-skinned face, a box to �ck, in spaces that I have known.

You claim to be an�-racist, fostering equality's grace,
But your leadership and staff all wear a single face.

On your website's pages, where diversity should be sought,

Reflec�ons of the status quo, it's the change that's o�en fought.
In interviews for volunteer roles, it's the same view we see,

A panel filled with sameness, no different hue or plea.

The images you flaunt, reveal a contrast stark,
To the diverse tales you speak of, it is �me to embark.

The cleaners, caretakers, and security, they toil just like me,
Yet your equal opportuni�es claim does not set us free.

Ethnically diverse staff who have shatered glass ceilings high,
Share stories of injus�ce, where racism's shadow does lie.

Complaints linger unresolved, jus�ce far from near,
Their trauma goes unno�ced, their voices filled with fear.

In rooms with thirteen or twenty, I'm the sole one there,

With skin of my colour, in a world that seems unfair.
So, let's end the rhetoric, the empty words that lead,

To real ac�on, educa�on, the equity seed we need.

Don't ask if racism exists, it's clear in every way,

Woven into structures, personal, ins�tu�onal every day.
It's �me to walk the walk, break the mould, be bold,
For substan�al change, for our stories to be told.

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