The Intersections of Justice
By Jo Lorenz
The reality of justice is that all our reformist movements are only as strong as the most vulnerable people within them — that our ambition for equity is all about sustaining human lives. So how do we do it?
Jo Lorenz explains the intersections of justice.
Recapping 2020 sounds like the abstracts of a terrifying, invidious fable.
Catastrophic climactic wildfires. The outbreak of a pandemic. The causal exposure of inequity and vulnerability. That constant cognisance of individual powerlessness. And then the tragic murder of an innocent man (RIP George Floyd) and the underscoring of our deeply racist systemic architecture.
Yet this isn’t a fable. This is as real AF. And if you are still only viewing all of these momentous events in isolation and via a singular, privileged landscape, then you are still 100% missing the point. So are we ready to talk about the intersections of justice yet?
The reality of Black Lives Matter — and all racial justice movements — is and has always been about protecting marginalised people. It is NOT about performative allyship. It is NOT about talking about racism when it’s fashionable. But it IS about consistently calling out racial discrimination and unlearning your own inherent racism. It IS about white folks decentring themselves from life’s centre-stage and amplifying the voices of black and indigenous folks. BLM is about intersectional justice.
The reality of climate justice is and has always been about protecting marginalised people. It is NOT about protecting the holidays houses of rich folks in Florida. It is NOT about hiding behind a ‘vegan’ declaration in bio. But it IS about radically developing lower-carbon lifestyles in a sustainable society, in order to be ready to help environmental migrants and future climate refugees. It IS about protecting the vulnerable nations who are already feeling the damning effects of climate change - nations primarily made up of non-white folks. And it IS about listening to indigenous wisdom and respecting the custodians of our planet. Climate justice is about intersectional justice.
The reality of sustainable fashion justice is and has always been about protecting marginalised people. It is NOT about buying up the latest environmentally-friendly capsule collection to flaunt after culturally-appropriative yoga classes. It is NOT about transparency reports and greenwash-fuckery of ‘commitments to excellence’. But it IS about diversity, inclusivity and protecting the lives of those being exploited within fashion supply chains — most of whom are black and brown people. It IS about creating circular fashion cycles that sustain people’s livelihoods, entire communities and, in turn, our planet. It IS about recognising how fashion has been propelled by supremacy, colonialism and capitalism, and about how those fundamentals need to change. Sustainable fashion is about intersectional justice.
The reality of feminist justice is and has always been about protecting marginalised people. It is NOT about simply addressing the executive pay gap in the world’s richest countries. It is NOT about donning pink hats and demanding to be treated as white men (i.e. white supremacy). But it IS about addressing gender-based racism, bigotry, ableism and poverty. It IS about addressing the global inequities for black women, brown women, indigenous women, trans women — of all women. Feminism is about intersectional justice.
It’s time to recognise that all our reformist movements are only as strong as the most vulnerable people within them — that our ambition for equity is about sustaining human lives — that all our goals must be intersectional. And then once we’ve recognised all this, it’s time to commit to fighting for people today, so we can fight for our planet tomorrow.
Please be honest with yourself. If up until now, you’ve been in the game for the latest organic capsule collection or to post the #trending black square, then you need to rethink your privilege and priorities. Because sustaining humans lives and the future of our planet needs you to be unconditionally and unapologetically intersectional.
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