Ep. 37 Kalkidan Legesse: Fashion, Activism, and the Burden of Responsibility
Life is hard enough as it is. But what kind of person wants to make it harder for themselves by, for example, choosing to set up their own business, rather than just getting a job? And who in their right mind would want to make it even harder by choosing to make it an ethical business, with moral and sustainable practices and supply chains? And what kind of person would choose to do this in a world that is designed to make it harder for them – a world designed for white, middle class men, when they are not a white middle class man? I am a white, middle class man. And I have, many times, struggled to simply get by in a system that was designed for people who look like me. So I’ve always wondered how people find success. Particularly people who choose to do it against even tougher odds than I have faced, and who choose to do it morally, and with decency. I have huge respect for everyone who chooses to go it alone, but even bigger respect for those who don’t look like me, who don’t have the advantages that people like me have going in their favour, but choose to make the leap anyway. I want to know how they do it. What’s the secret to making stuff happen, against the odds? So I reached out to Kalkidan Legesse, hoping that she might share her thoughts and experiences with me. Kalkidan is the managing director of Sancho’s, an ethical fashion company operating out of Exeter in the UK. I wanted to speak to her to find out how you overcome the fear and the mental roadblocks that can stop you trying build a life for yourself that is different to the mainstream way of doing things. The easy way of doing things. But I also wanted to speak to Kalkidan because she has spoken and written about racism in fashion and the fashion supply chain, including for newspapers such as the Guardian. I learned a lot from this conversation – not just about creating your own life and business, and not just about racism in fashion, but also about myself. As a result of the recent Black Lives Matter protests which continue to reverberate around the world, there was a lot of talk about the continuing impact of racism, segregation and inequality that still affects people today. It was a hot topic, but a few months later the conversations have quietened down. I want to continue the conversation, and during our podcast I learned why my black friends are so exhausted by having to continue to educate the rest of the world about the problems of racism. It shouldn’t be the burden of those who have been victims of racism – either personally or culturally – to have to explain to everyone else how it manifests every day. it shouldn’t be their duty to try to educate the rest of us about how our society, and even our individual behaviour, is still getting it wrong and perpetuating hundreds of years of pain and injustice. But in conversations like this, no matter how well meaning, people like me are placing this burden on people who are not like me. So here’s an idea. If every day you are not caused to be reminded and to feel exposed because of your gender, your nationality or the colour of your skin, maybe take time to research why it may be draining for others to feel this way. Do the research, read the books, don’t wait for it to be delivered to you on a plate. I’m going to try to be better, not just for me, but for everyone else that I share this planet with. I hope you will too. Here are some useful links: Sancho’s website: www.sanchosshop.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/wowsancho More links on my blog at www.chrisbrock.uk