No justice, no peace, Black Lives Matter
The whole world has been shaken by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, too shocking, too horrific to put into words. What has followed, a global up-roaring, and outcry, once again fighting for the end of racism in our institutions, societies, politics, healthcare/education systems…the list goes on. When will enough be enough?
I have gone back and forth about posting. I have wanted to speak up, but I have been worried about not being able to find the right words, not being educated enough to say something and feeling like it is not my place. How can I raise my voice, my anger, my disgust, as a white person, a person with white privilege who cannot understand or comprehend the deep pain and grief that people of colour will be feeling right now? Is it my right to speak up? Is it my right to be angry?
I have sat on this for a few weeks, and read, and listened and watched, hoping to educate myself on a topic I am ashamed to say, I do not know enough about. And when the protests started to rally in the US and then the UK, I knew I wanted to go. I was angry and I wanted to show up. I was angry and I wanted to speak out. I was angry, and I wanted to stand alongside everyone else. I did not want to be silent.
So yesterday, we went to the protests in London. It was one of the most powerful and awakening experiences I have had, probably in my lifetime. There was sadness, anger, and grief but above all there was vigour, community, and hope and a coming together of people of all races, standing together.
There were babies in buggies, young kids on their dad’s shoulders, families hanging out their windows with their children banging pots and pans, dogs wagging their tails, with placards around their necks, volunteers handing out water and hand sanitisers, and rows of cars blasting their horns in time with the chants from the crowds ‘black lives matter’ and ‘George Floyd, say his name.’ The energy was electric and the message was clear, silence is violence and without justice, there will be no peace.
Having woken up to the front-page headline on the Daily Mail: ‘Lawless and Reckless’ alongside the provoking and violent imagery from the protests- I saw red. As the second most read newspaper in the UK, it was another stark reminder of the systemic oppression from the British media and its huge influence on the public. This is amongst other countless social media posts about the ‘violent protests in London’ with fake news being spread far and wide on the anti-racism movement. These protests cannot be shamed because of the few that acted violently, disrespectfully, and in anger. And, more people need to speak out against the brainwashing of the media and politics, including myself.
So today, I am speaking out and urging my white peers and network to speak too. Join the protests, sign the petitions, be part of the conversation. For far too long, I have been quiet, choosing not to speak, and believing it wasn’t my right, place or fight to fight. As Layla F Saad so expertly shared in her conversation with Emma Gannon, on the podcast Ctrl, Alt, Delete’ “It should not fall on people of colour to fight the fight and keep up the conversation, racism is everyone’s problem.” And from my experience on Sunday, I have woken up to this truth. It is not a race debate, it is not black against white, it is the world against racists.
There is still so much I need to do. So much I need to read, watch and listen too. There is still so much more we all need to do, but the more I read and the more I understand, the better placed I am to have an educated opinion and carry on being part of this critical conversation.
Ways you can help:
https://minnesotafreedomfund.org/
https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/#
https://gal-dem.com/what-to-do-if-you-cant-protest-on-the-streets-for-black-lives-matter/
What you can read:
https://www.meandwhitesupremacybook.com/
https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/black-lives-matter-how-to-donate-support
What you can listen to:
https://play.acast.com/s/thehighlowshow/7820668b-af83-4efc-84c8-37ddc75af970
https://play.acast.com/s/ctrlaltdelete/1ca436ae-7efa-4a34-b842-d9d6afb97a68
https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch
What you can watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_qB6SsErpA
https://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-last-leg
-Desiree Burch on the last leg was incredibly thought provoking, as she shared her views on the anti racism movement.