Author: Thivya

Hi! I'm Thivya, a 21-year-old student and singer/songwriter from the UK. In my fourth year of university, this is where I will post anything I want to share or talk about - whether related or unrelated to my university studies. You can find me over on Instagram @thivya_k.
Real Talk

First, racially profile. Then, stop and search.

a pink dress with little flowers on it doesn’t exactly scream “terrorist”, but apparently brown skin does. Trigger warning: racism, police violence. I hate “playing the race card”. Most of the time, I will come up with some kind of excuse for someone else’s racist behaviour, so that I don’t seem like I’m playing the victim. But sometimes, it’s painfully obvious. I was walking through … Continue reading First, racially profile. Then, stop and search.

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Real Talk

It’s not “racism in football”, it’s just racism

It sucks that the England team lost, but England as a country? We never deserved to win. TRIGGER WARNING: Racism, racial slurs, violence, domestic violence (these are all mentioned very briefly but I have intentionally not included any offensive slurs or language within this post). I took a bit of time to breathe before I wrote this post. The past 48 hours or so have … Continue reading It’s not “racism in football”, it’s just racism

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Real Talk

This isn’t justice for George Floyd, but it’s a breath of relief

I cried myself to sleep last night thinking about George Floyd. Of course, it feels like a time for celebration but I can’t help feeling the weight of the situation almost more than I ever did before. I haven’t really planned out anything for this post but I just wanted to sit and write about this, so bear with me if this ends up being … Continue reading This isn’t justice for George Floyd, but it’s a breath of relief

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Real Talk

Dear Sarah Everard, it wasn’t your fault

*TRIGGER WARNING*: sexual assault/abuse, rape, kidnapping, violence/murder Hello lovely friends, I hope you are managing to stay well at this awfully messy time. I’d get comfy and grab a cuppa for this one, because it ended up being a long but very important post. I was conflicted about writing this post because I never thought that I could give Sarah Everard the justice she deserves, … Continue reading Dear Sarah Everard, it wasn’t your fault

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Real Talk

“I’m not even going to attempt to pronounce that”

“If you can say Phoebe, Niamh, and Choledocholithiasis, I promise you can say my name without having a stroke” I’ve been trying to find the words to talk about pronunciation of names for a while. With my Zoom graduation having just happened, it was the perfect moment to reflect on the topic. Our university sent out optional forms to fill out months before the event, … Continue reading “I’m not even going to attempt to pronounce that”

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Real Talk

“He’s really racist… he would hate you”: internalised racism and its effect on relationships

How many relationships am I going to have to remove myself from because of the colour of my skin? Hello, I hope you’re well. It’s been a while! 2020 has been quite the write-off, and unfortunately the lack of social interaction meant a lack of inspiration, hence my disappearance. If you’re reading this, thank you, and if you’ve messaged me or spoken to me about … Continue reading “He’s really racist… he would hate you”: internalised racism and its effect on relationships

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Real Talk

Calling time on “sexy” Instagram models and the guys that consume their content

The Instagram models that make you feel like shit because you don’t look like that? They don’t even look like that. Instagram seems like a friendly place – it takes just a second to double-tap a photo and send someone some short-term endorphins, the images that go viral tend to be filled with positivity rather than hate, and cats and dogs rule the world of … Continue reading Calling time on “sexy” Instagram models and the guys that consume their content

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Real Talk, University

You are allowed to change the price of what it costs to access you

Sometimes our price starts low because we haven’t realised our worth. Hi everyone, I hope you’re all still in one piece (physically, if not emotionally) and that you’re managing to keep yourselves entertained during this desperately painful time. I’m on my fourth week of being trapped indoors and am going absolutely stir crazy but thanks to the fact that my sister and I are now … Continue reading You are allowed to change the price of what it costs to access you

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Real Talk

You don’t think I’m pretty, you think I’m pretty for a brown girl

Beautiful doesn’t have to mean white, skinny, wide-eyed or straight-haired Earlier this week I was discussing the concept of race and beauty standards with two of my Tamil friends, Kamsi and Saran. Saran said “I don’t mean to offend you in saying this, but someone who is White and considered a 10, will be held to a different standard to a person of colour who … Continue reading You don’t think I’m pretty, you think I’m pretty for a brown girl

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Real Talk

An honest chat about everyday racism

My self-esteem was so heavily affected by the prospect of discrimination that I had no choice but to find other ways to boost it. I grew up in a primarily White town, where people of my ethnicity are very few and far between. Despite speaking Tamil as my first language, I quickly grew into only communicating in English, even with my parents. As I grew … Continue reading An honest chat about everyday racism

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