‘It’s mî cōlñ’: Mcela Loć, rîzñ star v ɖ clîṃtcrîsis campen
(Transcription of an Observer article of 16 April 2023)
Yuñ acṭvist Mcela Loć z brññ a stīli dtrṃneśn t ɖ fît fr clîṃtjustis. Jst d’nt cōl hr ‘ɖ ny Greta’
Jeṇvīv Fox, Súnde 16 Epril 2023
Ɖr wr a fy tirz on Muɖr’z De last munʈ ẃn Mcela Loć’z mum cem t vizit hr at hr flat on ɖ sǎʈ cǒst. Loć handd hr a hot-of-ɖ pres copi v hr ny bc, It’s Nt Ɖt Radicl: Clîṃt Ax́n t Trnsform Ǎr Wrld. Its cuvr dazlz in pnc – az dz Loć tde, a rapidli rîzñ star in ɖ fît fr clîṃtjustis, hu pićz p fr ǎr inṭvy in a pnc pufr, rouz-pnc bôlrsūt n pel-pnc glasz. Aftr hr muɖr réd Loć’z acnolijmnts ʈancñ hr fr pasñ on hr “hyj hart”, ś “hd a gd crî. N ɖen ś cōld mî granmuɖr in Jmeca hu wz, lîc, ‘Ẃ y bȍlñ ǎt lîc?’”
Loć promtli rumblz hr granmuɖr fr hvñ craid hrslf ẃn ś’d réd hr ɖ acǎnts v ɖer convseśnz rli in ɖ pandemic. Hr granmuɖr hd dscrîbd hǎ Helśîr Bīć, nir Cñstn, ẃr Mcela pleid az a tîni ćîld, hd olmst dis’pird dy t clîṃtćenj. Ɖ hlplisnis Mcela hŕd in hr granmuɖr’z vôs sprd hr on t rait ɖ bc.
Loć, 25, z a trenīdoctr at Ednbra Yṇvrṣti, n hr cpeśs emṗʈi z part v hr arṃri. Alñ wɖ hr opņis n firlisnis, it śeps hr inclūsiv brand v actvizm, ẃć hz sìn hr tec ɖ YC guvnmnt t cort ovr ẃt ś alejd wr unlwfl taxbrecs afordd t Norʈ Sī ôl n gas cumṗniz, śer a stej wɖ Bil Gets, n wrc wɖ refyjīz in Calais.
In 2020, Cozṃpoḷtn cōld Loć a “jôfl gemćenjr”, n lêtr ɖt yir ś lōnćt hr Yîcs! podcast, ẃl Forbz, Globl Sitizn n BBC Wmn’z Aur hv hêld hr az a līdñ inflụnsr in ɖ YC clîṃtmuvmnt. I asc hr f ś z ɖ ny Greta Tŭnḅri n ś lafs. “I d’nt ʈnc eni v s r ɖ ny Greta. I olso ʈnc a lot v s r qt tîrd v biyñ cmperd t hr, n I ʈnc Greta z tîrd v it az wel.
“Ś z an increḍbl līdr v ǎr muvmnt, bt w hv multipl līdrz az wel. It’s importnt t not ɖt Greta wz ćozn bî ɖ mīdia t b ɖ paḷtbl fes v a muvmnt ɖt’s bn arnd fr a loñ tîm. It wz a ćôs t ćūz a yuñ Swīdiś wmn, or grl, at ɖ tîm. Ẃt ś wz dwñ dd’nt riyli ʈretn ɖ steṭs qo in ɖ sem we az indijṇs acṭvists hu wr ćenñ ɖmslvz t pîplînz ɖ sem ej az hr ol ovr ɖ wrld.”
In It’s Nt Ɖt Radicl, Loć rfremz ɖ clîṃtćenj dbet, argywñ ɖt it rqîrz reśl iqoḷti – a paʈwe t a betr wrld fr evrwn, rgardlis v clas, culr, ẃr y liv, or eni uɖr stratiḟceśn ɖt cuṛntli śeps a lîf. Ś wonts evrwn t nǒ ɖt “Ɖ clîṃtcrîsis cem fṛm ɖ sem sistmz v rpreśn ɖt cōz ppl harm tde.”
“I d si it az part v mî cōlñ in ɖs muvmnt t mc ɖ diasṗra fīl welcm, īvn ɖo w dd’nt cōz ɖs crîsis n it’s nt ǎr fōlt. I ʈnc it’s ǎr rsponsbiḷti bcz w liv in ɖ cor v ɖ empîr n in ɖ cor v impirịlizm hir. W hv a hyj proxiṃti t pǎr ɖt ǎr siblñz on ɖ Africn continnt or in Jmeca n ol ɖ Caṛbiyn d’nt hv.”
Ɖ imbaḷns v pǎr btwn ɖ globl norʈ n ɖ globl sǎʈ grù ǎt v impirịlizm n ẃît s’preṃsi n, sz Loć, alaud ɖ clîṃtcrîsis t imrj in ɖ frst ples. Bʈ psist tde n nīd t b dsmantld f clîṃtjustis – a betr wrld, fr evrbdi – z t b aćivd. Dspt ɖs, inclusivity z nt smʈñ ɖ clîṃtmuvmnt hz olwz xeld at, mni b’livñ it hz bn reṣ́li n soṣ́li rivn. Loć b’livz Xtñśn Rbełn’s “ćôs t foc̣s its dsrupśn on ɖ guvnmnt n steṭs qo rɖr ɖn on ordnri ppl z tîmli”. Ś sz it wl hlp brñ in sm focs hu hv bn ełnetd fṛm ɖ muvmnt n md t fīl lîc acṭvists r ɖ eṇmi. “Ɖe wl nǎ rmembr ɖt, in acćl fact, w ol hv a śerd eṇmi n ɖt z ɖ rūlñclas.”
Ẃl mni v hr ǒn eḟts r hedlîn-grabñ, Loć hz plenti v xpirịns v unflaśi actvizm, n ɖ bc mcs practicl sjsćnz abt hǎ w cn wrc tgɖr t muv twdz clîṃtjustis. Bî 16, ś’d bcm vīgn, bôcotd fast faśn n wz blogñ. At 18, ś n hr muɖr foldd blancits fr refyjīz at Calais. “I rmembr fīlñ dīpli inspîrd bî ɖz riyli ordnri ppl dwñ ɖ cnd v non-glamṛs, qayt wrc v bildñ reṿluśnri ćenj – tîdl ćenj ppl wl nvr nǒ abt.”
Loć’z upbrññ leid ɖ sīdz fr hr dfînñ b’lif in ɖ pǎr v incṛmntl ćenj. Ś wz born in Cñstn t a Jmecn muɖr n Britiś faɖr, n ɖ faṃli muvd t a vilij in Suri ẃn ś wz tū n a haf. Hr muɖr nǎ wrcs in “cmpytrstuf”, hr dad in “pnśnstuf”, ẃt ś, wɖ hr Jén Z pspctiv, dscrîbz az “cnvnśnl jobz ɖt ppl hv fr mni yirz”. Hr faṃli muvd fr ɖ sem rīznz “az mni ppl hu end p biyñ part v ɖ diasṗra”.
Hr peṛnts rezd Loć n hr yungr bruɖr t qsćn ɖ steṭs qo, armd wɖ a bredʈ v historicl nolij nt faund in YC txt-bcs or clasrūmz. “Mî dad wz, lîc, y’r gwñ t unḍstand yr hisṭri. Ɖe wd fors s t woć dokmnṭriz abt ɖ frīdmfîtr Nani v ɖ Mrūnz, ɖ 18ʈ-snć̣ri līdr v ɖ Jmecn Mrūnz, “hu wd wer ɖ tīʈ v ɖ inslevrz ś hd cild arnd hr nec,” ś sz v Jmeca’z onli fīmel naśnl hiro. Nani léd a cḿṇti v formrli inslevd Africnz, ɖ Windẉd Mrūnz, in a g’ríḷwor agnst ɖ Britiś in ɖ mid-18ʈ snć̣ri, s’krñ vicṭri n ɖer ǒn frīdm, in 1740.
“Ɖe wd tīć m abt ɖ riaḷtiz v reṿluśn,” sz Loć. “Ɖe md it clir ɖt frīdm wz nt smʈñ ɖt wz jst pást dǎn fṛm abv – it wz smʈñ ɖt wz fòt fr fṛm ɖ grǎnd p. Ɖt hd a big impact on m.”
In 2004, Loć woćt az ɖ Indịn Ośn tsūnāmi md ɖ hedlînz, “I wz, lîc, ǒ, I’m so sad abt ɖs, n mî dad sd, so ẃt r y gwñ t d abt it?”
Ɖt’s ẃn ś tc hr frst ax́n, ejd fîv, becñ cecs t rêz fundz fr ɖ victimz. “It instild in m rli on ɖt w d’nt hv t jst woć ʈñz hapn, īvn f it’s dwñ a smōl ʈñ lîc a becseil, n ɖt f y cn d smʈñ abt it, y probbli śd. Az I grù p, mî dad wd ćalinj m on ɖt mor n mor. Nǎ, ẃn I si smʈñ, I d’nt jst pasivli woć.”
In lêt 2021, ś tc part in Xtñśn Rbełn’z Scotiś Stop Cambo campen t privnt a ny ôlfīld in ɖ Norʈ Atlantic. Ś camt ǎtsd Wsminstr Abi n, nrṿs az ś wz abt hr sefti n compṛmîzñ hr medicl c’rir, agrìd t ćen hrslf t ɖ XR stej.
It wz ɖt sem yir, agn at “prsnl risc”, ɖt ś n tū uɖr clîṃtćenj acṭvists tc ɖ YC guvnmnt t cort ovr ɖ taxbrecs afordd t Norʈ Sī ôl n gas cumṗniz, s’portd bî ɖ invîrnmntl nonprofit Uplift n ɖ Peid t P’lūt campen. Devid dd nt dfit G’layʈ bt, sz Loć, “Ɖ guvnmnt wz stl forst t admit in cort ɖt ɖe hd gvn ɖz taxbrecs.”
Loć, tde, z an ǎtwd-lcñ cnctr. Bt for yirz v biyñ “svirli” bŭlid at secnḍri scūl, fṛm ɖ ej v 11, left hr fīlñ îṣletd n “teṛfaid” t g t scūl. Ś sòt refyj in bcs, n slf-wrʈ in acdemic aćivmnt. “I’d gt ćest ǎt v scūl wɖ cricitbats. It wz qt bad. Nt qt bad – it wz ōfl. It wz teribl. I wz nt wel at ol.” Ś fîndz it hard t rcōl ɖoz rlịr yirz. “I ʈnc ɖt ẃn y hv trōma, yr bren cnd v blancs.”
Hr peṛnts muvd hr t anɖr scūl, midtrm. “I d’nt ʈnc I wd b alîv rît nǎ f mî peṛnts hd’nt…” Hr vôs fōltrz. “Ǒ goś,” ś sz, “ɖt mcs m crî a litl bit… f mî peṛnts hd’nt pld m ǎt.” Aftr cmplitñ hr JSSEz, ś wnt on t a ny scūl fr sixʈ form, on a fl scolrśp.
Ś fîndz it “vri bizar” t hv ɖ platform ś nǎ dz n t b a “hop mśīn”, az ś hz dscrîbd hrslf, olbiit wn hu hz grapld wɖ impostrsindrom, hd panic’tacs fṛm ɖ preśrz v sośl mīdia n, ẃn ś ćend hrslf t ɖ XR stej at Wsminstr, riylîzd ś wz’nt “adiqtli priperd” n flt “jst so scerd”, scerd v biyñ arestd, v “biyñ ɖt viẓbl” n bcmñ smwn ɖt far-rît grūps “wd b cīpñ an î on” n, az a Blac wmn, v p’līs brūtaḷti.
“In mî hed I wz lîc, I’m gwñ t b in a sél tnît, I’m gna b alon, n ol ɖ nemz v ppl hu daid in [p’līscusṭdi] cnd v wnt ʈru mî hed n I startd crayñ. It riyli flt lîc I wz forst intu ɖt pziśn. I ʈnc ɖt’s hǎ a lot v ppl fīl. Y d it, bt it’s a last rzort.” It z Loć’z abiḷti t cnct ɖt hz gvn hr a platform. W tōc abt ẃɖr biyñ ɖ cnctr ś z tde me hv stemd fṛm biyñ śut dǎn n śut ǎt az a ćîld.
In 2017, ś wrct in a locl cerhom fr six munʈs, az a cerr, ɖen a rspśnist, bfr traṿlñ in sǎʈ-īst Eźa. Ol ɖ rezidnts wr ẃît. Most v ɖ cer wrcrz wr imigṛnts n “nt peid inuf fr ɖ wrc ɖe d”. Caźl ẃît stāf “dd nt last longr ɖn a wīc”. Ɖoz hu dd wr fṛm Īstn Yṛp, India, or ɖ Africn continnt. “Ɖe wd wrc so hard n cer so wel fr ɖz ppl. In ɖ fes v ol ɖ anti-imigṛnt reṭric w gt in ol ɖ peprz, ɖz popyleśnz r holdñ p ɖs cuntri.”
Ś md frendz wɖ a 90-yir-old rezidnt. “H tòt m a lot,” ś sz. “Lîc a lot v ppl in mî jeṇreśn, I yst t ʈnc ɖt old ppl suc. I’v bn lîc, ǒ, ɖe d’nt cer abt ǎr fyćr. Ber in mînd,” ś adz, “Doṇld Trump hd jst bn ilectd n w’d jst hd Brexit – ol ɖz ʈñz ɖt wr’nt ɖ ćôs v mî jeṇreśn.”
Opņis, anɖr v Loć’z star qoḷtiz, z phps anɖr wrd fr gres, a wrd ɖt cmz p mor ɖn wns. “I’v got a lot v gres fr ɖoz cidz nǎ,” ś sz v hr ćîldhd bŭliz. “At ɖ tîm I wz lîc, ɖz ppl r jst horibl. Bt ɖen az an adult ispeṣ́li I lc bac n I’m lîc, ɖe wr jst cidz, n ɖe wr jst biyñ cidz.” Biyñ jujmntl z nt Loć’z ʈñ. Ẃn I asc, fr xampl, f it z hlpfl t asc f būmrz n oldr ppl r dwñ inuf t fît clîṃtćenj, ś sz, “Ɖr z tù mć blemñ v difṛnt jeṇreśnz. I ʈnc ɖr’z ɖs îdīa it’s onli yuñ ppl hu r dwñ inuf or dwñ ɖ rît wrc n I d’nt ʈnc ɖt’s tru. I’v wrct wɖ ppl hu r 70 or 80, or 10 yirz old. Fr Stop Cambo t b s’xesfl, fr s t stop ɖt ôlfīld, it wz onli poṣbl bcz v ɖ wrc v decedz v campenrz hu dd’nt si ɖ s’xesz v ɖer wrc. Bt ɖe cntinyd t wrc, n I am so gretfl ɖt ɖe dd ɖt wrc.”
Rɖr ɖn ascñ hu z dwñ inuf, ś sz, “W śd b ascñ hǎ cn w ćalinj ǎrslvz t pś a bit mor, hǎ cn w rīć ǎt t ǎr ǒn cḿṇti n trî t brñ ɖm alñ wɖ s.” F, in ɖ proses, y fînd yrslf p agnst smwn hu z clos-mîndd or uninformd, ś hz a tip – pōz fr a secnd, ɖen “Si f ɖr’z smwn ɖt y olrdi luv ɖt y cn si a part v in ɖs prsn.” Nxt, asc yrslf f y cn “mbi trî t mīt ɖs prsn ẃr ɖ’r at instd v trayñ t cm at ɖm az f y olrdi ʈnc ɖ’r a teribl prsn”. A momnt lêtr ś jumps in: “I’m nt gret at dwñ ɖt ol ɖ tîm. I ʈnc I’m betr at tōcñ abt it.” Îɖr we, it’s a lésn in ńuans fṛm a 25-yir-old hu dz’nt b’liv in hiroz, bt in c’lectiv ax́n. An acṭvist hu z nbdi’z mascot, nbdi’z Greta, bt simpli hrslf – a yuñ wmn dedcetd t ɖ strugl fr a betr fyćr.
***
It’s Nt Ɖt Radicl: Clîṃt Ax́n t Trnsform Ǎr Wrld bî Mcela Loć z publiśt bî DK at £16.99. Y cn bai it fr £14.95 fṛm guardianbookshop.com
