Leeds' Mel B has shared her own experiences of horrific racism, from childhood to her career as a Spice Girl, as she divulges how much the Black Lives Matter movement has meant to her.
The equal rights movement is continuing to gather momentum.
Earlier this year, Leeds saw a protest, held virtually by Black Lives Matter Leeds and Stand Up To Racism to make sure it was in line with coronavirus regulations, pay tribute to George Floyd who lost his life when a police officer knelt on his neck in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
To get the latest email updates from LeedsLive, click here.
Mel B has now said that the movement has made her feel hopeful about better representation in the future and has said she feels as though stars such as Alison Hammond are helping to pave the way.
Writing her own piece in the Sun newspaper, Mel B shared how as a Spice Girl, she was told to straighten her hair and as a child, carried by her dad in a bid to prevent racist attacks.
Mel B, whose dad is from the Caribbean island of Nevis and came to England in the wake of Windrush, wrote: "We grew up knowing we were different. The working men’s club down the road would never accept my dad as a member.
"When I was a baby and my parents were in town, mum would make dad carry me because it was less likely he’d be attacked if he had a baby in his arms.
"My earliest memories of school are running home at full pelt with kids shouting “Redskin” and “P***” at me and my dad telling me I needed to fight my own battles."
She also shared her experiences of the entertainment industry, and how in PR, CEO or meetings with lawyers, she never saw another brown or black face.
Yet, paying tribute to stars such as This Morning's Alison Hammond and I May Destroy You's Michaela Coel, she also shared with fans that she believes things are changing for the better.
She wrote: "It’s ironic to think much of this came to pass because a white policeman knelt on a black man’s neck and killed him.
"Sometimes it takes rage to get justice and rage to make a difference, but I am pleased the world my three brown girls are growing up in is — admittedly slowly — moving forward.
"And I am proud to be brown, British and part of a global entertainment industry that has for so long needed to change."
Mel B recently appeared in a music video for Women's Aid, showing the singer covered in blood and bruises, created after the singer had conversations with survivors of domestic abuse and the impact of lockdown on women living with an abusive partner during the global pandemic.
