Prominent Indigenous emcee and dancer, Baker Boy, has taken to social media to share his thoughts regarding the Black Lives Matter movement.
Baker Boy – real name Danzal Baker – revealed that he had faced criticism for not speaking out sooner. He admitted he was initially somewhat reluctant to address the current racial climate.
“As my Baker Boy persona I choose a path of positivity and light and choose not to speak politically with this platform. I’m also unsure that I have anything new or insightful to say,” he wrote on Instagram.
“I don’t feel like it is anyone’s place to push guilt or question the activism of a First Nations person during this traumatising time.”
Baker Boy went on to detail the “negative emotion” he feels in the face of omnipresent racism.
“I am angry. I am scared,” he said, “I feel every negative emotion that there is to feel about what happened to George Floyd.”
Baker Boy explained that these emotions are a part of his everyday reality.
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“I feel these emotions EVERY DAMN DAY not just right now when it’s big on the news or trending on twitter and Instagram. This is my life and I am scared.”
Baker Boy also encouraged non-Indigenous allies to educate themselves about race.
“For all of my balanda (non-indigenous) brothers and sisters I hope what you’re seeing in America right now is opening your eyes to the stolen land that you live on here in Australia, to your privilege, to those ‘jokes’, to those ‘jokes’ that you don’t call out.”
He concluded his post by urging people of all races to take their activism beyond social media.
“Activism starts at home, with hard conversations. Please think about the way you are communicating with POC around you, especially at this time, as those who reached out to me considered themselves allies whilst amplifying my trauma, anger and sadness.”
Baker Boy gained national attention with his breakout singles ‘Cloud 9’ and ‘Marryuna’ in 2017. Both charted on triple j’s Hottest 100 of that year. He has released a slew of other hits since then, including ‘Cool as Hell’, ‘In Control’ and, most recently, ‘Move’.
A talented dancer, he has also performed as a touring member of the Djukji Mala dance troupe.
Check out ‘Move’ by Baker Boy:
