With the death of George Floyd, people are mourning yet another innocent black life, a man who was failed by the system.
As a black person in the UK today, I stand (kneel) and show solidarity – along with the rest of the world.
Although the UK isn’t as explicitly violent, black Britons recognise there is still a level of systemic racism that discriminates and disenfranchises members of the BAME communities.
I’ve rarely experienced racism or discrimination to my face, but when I walk into high-powered rooms, I tend not to see people who look like me.
Recent events have shown me that although it’s 2020 and we are still fighting for equality, we are not fighting it alone. Thousands upon thousands gathered in different cities and towns to stand with us.
This gave us hope. We can all help, but we must all understand the how and why. We have been dehumanised throughout centuries.
You only have to order a book, listen to a podcast or type into Google to learn about black history –both positive and negative.
As a nation, we have only been shown one side.
The Black Lives Matter movement is not just to say our lives matter, but also our dreams.
We are tired of being made to swim against the current, and demand the same privilege our white friends have received in this country.
We want the right not only to survive, but to thrive.
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