Some nights ago, I was up having consumed a lot of information being thrown around all over social media, I did not sleep that night. It was honestly so traumatising seeing people from the same race as you being brutalised and murdered because of the colour of their skin. Speaking to friends the sentiment was, unfortunately, the same. Many of us have been gaslighted into thinking we complain too much, our problems are just like everyone else, white privilege doesn’t exist and we are all completely treated as equal.
That’s a bloody lie. A very bloody one, and I'll tell you why...
George Floyd. The pivotal moment many took action to say, this is enough. We are sick and tired of black people dying senselessly online and offline yet, still getting little to no justice. It’s very painful knowing that it could be you or a loved one being subject to death because we share the same colour skin. When does it end?
Over the last few weeks, the American justice system has shown itself complicit in the systematic oppression of the likes of minorities especially Black people. The domino effect of the outrage was widespread where many have spoken up about the injustices faced as minorities in majority-white countries and generally across the world. The British/French/Dutch/Belgian/German/Italian/Danish colonial rule inflicted atrocities on many continents, countries and cultures where silence concerning these issues have been the norm. Many superpowers, many years ago divvied up Africa like a piece of pie to conquer, corrupt and exploit its resources and people at an attempt to establish rule and build their countries to what they are today. These then created systems built on the exploitation of these resources the cheek of it all being the leaders of these countries are paraded as heroes and founding fathers, forgetting and whitewashing a blood-stained and sinister history as that of a victorious march towards a greater civil society.
The whole precedent for the #BlackLivesMatter movement is to show there is a disparity in the treatment of black people in America but also across the world and especially the UK as that is where I reside. To then have the rebuttal that is the #AllLivesMatter movement is an honestly very very dirty slap on the face. People are trying to invalidate and silence the struggle of those who cry out for their voices to be heard. Of course all lives matter but currently some of these lives are systematically being targeted and oppressed.
For God’s sake read the damn ROOM!
It’s also very wild for me seeing non-black people I know or I am cool with absolutely saying not showing any form of acknowledgement to the movement. Like you are friends with and/or date black people, listen to black artists, support black athletes in sports, love the fun and energetic culture that encompasses being black but when it comes to the nitty-gritty issues such as racism, there is no form of acknowledgement nor being vocal about when people are dying and being brutalised systematically and unequivocally by police and by racists who are getting away with discrimination and murder. Hold people accountable!
Some people, I feel remain silent because they are willfully ignorant. They adopt the attitude that it doesn’t concern them however, they will pick and choose when they want to dip their toe into black culture. We are in the midst of a civil rights movement and people are being silent...how does one stay silent in injustice? The statement truly goes racism is not a touchy subject if you’re not a racist. To know that injustice is going on and you have a platform, even a small one to be open and stand in solidarity of injustice and you are failing to pay any mind is mind-blowing, honestly, truly.
On Twitter, a discussion opened up a discussion concerning the experiences of black students through primary school and secondary school. This triggered memories I definitely forgot about discriminatory behaviour by teachers at my secondary school, emphasising the problems within the British school system concerning little black boys and girls. Triggering to say in the least, the stories were endless all night I spent researching, listening and hearing stories about people who were affected by these racist occurrences. The discussion highlighted how our struggles were made redundant as if we are not human beings, rather it’s our fault or they simply don't care. It is definitely not okay to target kids just because they didn’t look like you. Or if they did, forcing them to conform to a system that benefits the oppressor because of pressure to keep your job.
Many stories of coloured braids being “too distracting”, where white counterparts were able to express different styles and colours. Very dark-skinned kids being told their skin would blend into the room when the lights turned off, kids being labelled as “aggressive” and crowding in groups being equated to gangs when children were playing together like normal kids. They are not afforded the same privilege as the white boys and girls who group together. When does it end?
Young black boys and girls in predominantly white schools being one of the very few people of their race are subject to targeted abuse. One girl mentioned, “I once had a science teacher stop the class to bring me to the front and tell the whole class that my hair defied gravity. I then stood there like a show monkey as the rest of the class stared, I never wore my natural hair in school again”. Natural type 3 &4 hair being "too unprofessional" to represent the school to prospecting students and parents. More shocking stories, being called a slave, teachers making jokes about their hatred of black people and then brushing it off. Other teachers discussing eugenics and how black people are less evolved than white people, to then be the only black person in that class. To the more oppressive, kids being held back from more rigorous classes even though they are academically capable. One girl recalling how her teacher would constantly give her Cs and Ds instead of As knowing herself that she was capable, to put this theory to the test she swapped her essay with another girl (a white student) and that girl got an A grade. The system is oppressive, it's clear.
What does need to change is deep-rooted biases, attitudes and perspectives. The conversation has begun but it is not enough. Injustice needs to be called out: silence is complicit in keeping racism alive and I hope and believe this generation is brave enough to change as many attitudes as possible, with the educating of past history, but also acknowledging and appreciating people's differences in culture and creed. In an idealistic world, everyone is equal, right now some are more equal than others. We have the tools to implement the change. The rise of technology has proven favourable in highlighting how vital physical evidence is, in combatting unjust behaviour but also bringing to light the silenced, maimed by death and corruption in justice systems across the world. So many stories have gone untold.
There is power in collectivism. "2 heads are better than 1!" as my mum always says.
Many underestimate the strength in numbers once people realise this we are headed to a better future than what was tainted by a brutal past. The more you know, the fewer power the unknown has over you, knowledge is power and empowered people really do change the world. United we stand and divided we fall, stand for change!