We look at the progress in equality and diversity that was achieved, and may still continue in some ways, and some might say that these advances made the world a better place.
And in many ways they did, but they didn’t eliminate persecution, didn’t stop those who demonise minorities, preach hatred of Trans of Gay people, didn’t slow down the advance of those now holding power in so many countries across the globe.
What was achieved in the past can in many ways be looked on as monumental, but as we are all too painfully learning, it was not enough.
Money, power, hatred, violence against the powerless are once again to the forefront of the world around us.
What was achieved in the past was not enough.
The goals of those who fought to be heard were inspirational, but what they achieved was not enough.
We need changes that cannot be easily wound back. We need to make things so different from what they are now that to go back would be equivalent to our species returning to the trees. We cannot allow so many to suffer from the reversals of what was gained because of a failure of vision, of determination, of effort of those who went before us.
And I know that will cause offense to many, and that is not what I mean to do.
We have to accept it was a failure, maybe not of those who spoke out, maybe not of those who sacrificed so much, but of those who actually made the changes, who shaped the laws, shaped the society we have, or used to have till recently, the failure of those who changed world we had of not going far enough, or not making changes strong enough, of not securing our rights enough, so that the hate filled, divisive, and power hungry could do what they are doing today.
When someone spouts hate, they shouldn’t just be criticised, they should be shunned, shamed, treated as if they were an actual Nazi, hell bent on world domination and the elimination of our kith and kin.
Debating ideas with those who would happily watch you die is not what rational people do. It’s what privileged comfortable unthreatened people do. It’s for people who have never been face to face with death threats, burning crosses, rage filled mobs, concentration camps, genocide.
Evil is real. It has a human face. It is those who would use hate and anger towards any demonised group to gain power and influence and the fight against it has not been enough.
The laws to fight oppression, fight inequality, fight corruption, fight discrimination, have not been enough.
Everything in this moment, where hate and vilification have almost become the laws of the land show us that what was achieved was not enough.
We need to fight back against their words, their hatred, their violence, in ways that show them and us that we do truly value each and every one of us.
Not letting them win any battle.
Not letting them take any of us because it seems easier, seems convenient, seems a way to succeed.
No one left behind, no one given up, no one unequal.
What was done in the past was not enough.
We need to do more, do so much more that someday in the future, our descendants can look back and wonder at how it could ever be anyway else.
We owe them that.
Zainab Carver - Speech at Freedom Demonstration