Leigh-Anne Pinnock shared a powerful video detailing their experiences with racism as the only Black member of Little Mix. In the five-minute clip posted on his Instagram on Friday, the singer and composer, describes the hard lessons he has learned and harsh realities that she faces as a Black woman in the music industry. She began by offering his condolences to the family of George Floyd and a countless number of people who have been killed at the hands of the police and expressed how for the first time in his life, the theme of racism is finally at the forefront.
“We don’t see this as a moment — this has to be a movement until the system designed to oppress us is no more.”
“We have the attention of the world,” Leigh-Anne said. “We don’t see this as a moment — this has to be a movement until the system designed to oppress us is no more, and that they see us as equal to our white counterparts.” She understands, however, that this is not an easy task and cannot be done overnight. “Black people have been oppressed for over 400 years. Four hundred years later, we are still seeing our Black brothers and sisters to be shot down and treated with less sense than all the others.”
Leigh-Anne explained how to grow with the mixture of the race of the parents, she and her sisters never saw his career as “a limitation” on what they could achieve, but in the process, she ended up “sleeping on racism.” “Too often, Black people are reminded how far we’ve come, versus how far we can go. To do this, we slept in racism,” he said, adding a poignant question: “Think about this: have you ever heard of white people having to be grateful for how far I have come as a race?”
Nine years ago, after joining Little Mix, she had what she called “the great awakening” of his life. She said that while working on “Wings”, a song to the girl of the group fell in 2012, the creative director Frank Gatson said, “you are the Black girl; you have to work 10 times harder.” This interaction taught him a handful of hard lessons. She said:
“I learned that the dream of being in the biggest girl group in the world of wine, with their defects and consequences of consequences such as the knowledge on the existing, underlying racism in the creative industries. You learn to understand that you may not be seen to be too strong, or too stubborn, otherwise you’re considered a diva or aggressive. You learn that when you enter a room, it is considered inaccessible or fish before anyone has approached. You learn that when you express your opinion on the lack of diversity within the industry is as smash your head against a brick wall. So, in the events and ceremonies, learn how to take great comfort of the rare moments when you meet Black creative people that understand this feeling of loss that you have inside.”
However, those moments of comfort are fleeting and last only until the reality comes rushing back in:
“My reality was the feeling of loneliness while touring predominantly white countries. I sing to the fans that don’t see me or hear me or joy in me. My reality is the feeling of anxiety before the fan events, and signings, because I always feel like I am the least favored. My reality is constantly the feeling that I had to work 10 times harder and more time to mark my place in the group, because my talent is not enough. My reality is the desire to see other artists that I know that are so talented but will never get the opportunities I have had, because to the industry, are not negotiable, but they are going to get behind someone else with the aspects of Black culture that the world wants to see, but that is going to leave behind the aspects that they feel make them unmarketable. My reality is that all the times I’ve felt invisible within my group, a part of me is fully aware that my experience would have been even more difficult to deal with had been dark-skinned. Our reality is that no matter how much you think that has come, and the racism there is. Exists in sports, in the creative industries, in the politics and policies, in the streets and in the hearts of the people to be racist.”
Leigh-Anne concluded the video urging his followers not to be quiet on the topic of systemic racism, while holding back tears. “We are all going to continue to talk about racism and keep this movement,” he said, adding a “thank you” at the end.
