We have hierarchy in society, which due to our human nature leaves us open to forms of discrimination and exploitation. With being the dominant group in society it can be difficult to understand the relevance of individuality to the marginalised, because that is a privilege already afforded. So, for the marginalised, discourse on identity is not just mere intellectual wordplay, but more profoundly a way for me to be seen as Fungai first before I’m viewed as a black man, an African, or an immigrant. For although factual, those are descriptors that do not serve as a predication to defining me.

When you are the dominant group, you don’t have to declare yourself, for the system is set up in a way that already affirms that. Americans are classed by their ethnicity to distinguish the different racial groups (Native American, African American, Chinese American, Latin American), yet most white Americans are seen as just Americans. We also know that Native Americans are custodians of that land and more importantly that they are not Indians, yet we do not bother to correct a mistake made centuries ago.

We show the inability to acknowledge the struggles of others equally, as feelings of guilt, bitterness, and shame overwhelm any capacity to empathise and refrain from being dismissive. An example to that is the All Lives Matter protest in response to the Black Lives Matter movement. The movement was never an attempt to place the value of black individuals higher than all other races, but rather an indication of the enduring injustices that our society keeps ignoring.

Society is built on an individual having rights and consequently responsibilities as it is difficult to judge and hold an entire group accountable, such as when we consider the use of the phrase ‘white privilege’. This expression is misrepresentative, isolating, and therefore provoking a defensive reaction. It is important to note that this is in contrast to marginalised groups, as they seek representation as a collection of individuals who have no rights. The aim being to solve systemic issues affecting many individuals within a community by collectively addressing their problems.

Group identity however, has an ugly side to it when you realise how it can enforce groupthink. It silences individuals within the same marginalised groups who may not agree or share the same views on certain matters. One of the victims to this (and she is not the only one), Africa Brooke, wrote an open letter expressing her reasons for leaving the “woke” culture. She expressed the repressive nature of having to live and portray a certain image as being a black woman, without any room for free expression and thought outside of popular group opinion.