This Pandemic has brought out the best and the worst in people. My story is that I am a Traveller woman, mother, activist. I have never experienced as much racism in my life as I have in past 3 weeks. Our community is under siege.
I manage a Traveller Community Health organisation with a Health Action Zone Hub and a team of Traveller Community Health Workers
From early March, we started delivering care packages of essentials to our over 60's, we disseminated info on Covid-19 to the community. We made action plan to target and support our most vulnerable. We worked with @countykerry to provide hygiene packs to all halting sites.
We are part of a countywide community response team. We have supported people from all ethnicities.Our team have worked incredible hours & with incredible heart.We are frontline workers. We have 2,000 Travellers in Kerry. Approx 100 haven't adhered to Covid-19 guidelines.
Our team, our community have begged them to do so.For all our health. For whatever reason, they didn't comply.They got condemnation from our community. We developed pieces of work to bring people with us in the fight to stop the spread.Our community in the majority led by example
Across the county, individuals and families stayed apart, spent time with their own home dwellers and felt solidarity and acceptance that as Irish people, we were all in this together and would do our part.
When some settled people partying or spitting on Gardai came to light. Travellers condemned them as individuals. All settled people weren't condemned. When some Travellers partying, and gathering in groups came to light, all Travellers were condemned.
Suddenly, it shifts from individual responsibility to the responsibility of 40,000 people. We were called on and expected to stop these individuals from breaching guidelines. We did that never needing to be asked as community members.But why is it expected that we police others
Bit by bit, several times a day, racist comments about Travellers are being made. Travellers have been experiencing more racism. My own mother was shouted at in a queue in Tesco. In my area people I grew up with all my life are silent about my challenges to racists.
Organisations I supported hide like ghosts when asked to speak out about the onslaught of racism we are experiencing during Covid-19. silence is deafening. Silence is heart breaking.
@Channel4 @C4Dispatches aired aired a programme called "The Truth about Traveller Crime" the level of racism and discrimination increased significantly for Travellers and Gypsies in the past week because of it. Again, a whole community tried for the wrongs of a few individuals.
Travellers and Gypsies do so much good, not for praise but because genuinely, we are good, generous, thoughtful, kind, respectful people.We love big.We give big. We respect big. We get little back, but we keep giving. That is our truth.
We could bow our heads, live quietly, accept racism. Pretend our 'friends' know theres good and bad in every community. Pretend they stand up and correct people who label us criminals, lawless, irresponsible, spreader of Covid-19, animals, or when suggested we are all gassed
I come from honourable people, my parents, son, people mean too much to me not to fight against this racism. I don't want a generation of our young people to remember this Pandemic as a time they were vilified and persecuted.
Its open season on Travellers and Gypsies during this Pandemic and the silence is deafening. @itmtravdirector @PaveePoint @gypsy_o @SindyLJoyce @johnconnors1990 @GypsyTravellerM @Minceirbeoir @katiesunshine26
Nobody will tell my story but myself. I stand on the shoulders of giants and I stand very tall.
Thanks everyone for the lovely comments, support and solidarity. I'm blown away 💞
