Taika Waititi Speaks Out Against Casual Racism in Satirical PSA
Although his message was filmed in 2017, the Jojo Rabbit director wrote on his Twitter that it was “still relevant.”
Taika Waititi has been outspoken on his support for the Black Lives Matter movement and the on-going protests happening worldwide. Protesters have been calling for the end racial injustice and police brutality since George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, was killed by police officers in Minneapolis, MN.
On his social media, Waititi shared community bail funds, advocated for key policies in ending police violence, and called for justice for Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman killed by police in her own home in Louisville, KY. He also spoke out against racism in his home country of New Zealand, which particularly targets First Nations people.
On June 15, instead of posting a current resource, Waititi reshared one of his tweets from 2017. His tweet announced a campaign created by the New Zealand Human Rights Commission, titled ‘Give Nothing To Racism’.
True to Waititi’s comedic style, the campaign features Waititi giving a satirical PSA, asking for New Zealanders to ‘support racism’. As he points out, racism cannot exist without people contributing to it. Most importantly, he highlights that even small acts—such as nodding in agreement or laughing at racist comments—help exacerbate it.
“To the people receiving the racism, they’ll be getting hundreds of small bits every day,” Waititi said in the video. “So it will add up. It will be noticed.”
Three years ago NZ made this thing. Still relevant. https://t.co/L1gRLfNSUW
— Taika Waititi (@TaikaWaititi) June 15, 2020
Although it was produced three years ago, the video is still shockingly relevant and powerful today. Through his cleverly-written PSA, Waititi comments on how easy it is for anyone to give in to social pressures and be a racist, especially when it comes to microaggressions. However, he also demonstrates that no one should do this: these small actions—regardless of how small they are—only cause harm to the person receiving them.
“There’s no benefit whatsoever to being racist,” Waititi said. “But ask yourself, what if everyone stopped giving to racism? What kind of future would that be for our children?”
Make sure to watch Waititi’s ‘Give Nothing to Racism’ above. While you’re at it, remember also that it is important to take an active role when combating racism. Whether that is protesting on the streets, signing petitions, donating to organizations, or something else entirely, every action counts. If you need some suggestions, click here to find ways you can help support Black Lives Matter and combat racial injustice.
