Light will always drive out darkness, and love will always trump hate… And two things happened in Aberdeen last week to prove just that.
The first was the joyful and joy-filled portrait exhibition by Aberdeen artist Joshua Ekekwe at the Music Hall: stunning images of the day-to-day lives of people from around the world who now call Aberdeen home.
The Diaspora Everyday is a celebration of how different cultures from across the globe bring richness and diversity, texture and fresh vision to the Granite City. Whether it’s a tea ceremony, going shopping, or even just dancing, it’s a glimpse into the lives of those who have chosen to put down roots in Aberdeen, be they Caribbean, African or Polish.
The paintings reflect callbacks to their homelands, while acting as a reminder of all the threads that connect us, wherever we are.
What shines through each image is the sense of person, that they are here and they are our friends and neighbours. They are Aberdeen.
Because that’s what our city is, always was and always will be: a place where everyone is welcome, no matter where they come from. The hand of friendship is always stretched out to welcome folk in, and make them feel at home, because they are.
Our city, our region, knows the value of embracing the world and being grateful that people want to settle here to enrich our lives, broaden our horizons and make our communities all the better for it.
Joshua’s stunning exhibition takes that sense of the common weal and turns it into a huge, glorious artform that warms the heart and feeds the soul. Eight images painting more than a thousand words. It is powerful, poignant and perfect.
The flip side to that exuberance and celebration of community came in the form of vile and nasty posters and flyers riddled with racist rantings and anti-semitic, anti-feminist sickness, hidden around an Aberdeen school.
I hesitate to even write about it, because I don’t want to give the sick and twisted individual (you know it’s a lone mouth-breather) any sense of agency. But evil like this can’t be ignored, because that’s how it spreads.
It needs to be dragged into the light and, hopefully, the lunatic behind it can be found and given the help they so clearly need. If that is truly how you see the world, then your world is a cold, lonely and bleak place to be.
While that is an extreme example, there are people out there who cling to prejudice and venom as if their lives depend on it – and sad, sorry lives they are.
We all have a duty to call out that hate and, equally, have the privilege of being able to celebrate and honour the many strands that make up the culture of Aberdeen. Let’s make sure our voices and our joy ensure love really does trump hate – every time.
Scott Begbie is a journalist and editor, as well as PR and comms manager for Aberdeen Inspired
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