George Floyd & BLM Protests
As I'm sure you all know, on 25th May 2020, George Floyd (an unarmed, black man) died at the hands of 4 police officers after one of them (Derek Chauvin) kneeled on his neck for 9 minutes. Police brutality against black people has become commonplace in the US and being killed by police is now the 6th most common cause of death for young, black men. George Floyd's death triggered many protests both within the US and internationally, and has forced many individuals and corporations to reflect on how they have enabled and benefitted from racism, as well as educate themselves on how to be actively anti-racist.
Racism is systemic and is the reason why black people are disproportionately incarcerated, more likely to live in deprived areas, and receive less medical treatment. In fact, in the US black people earn on average three-fifths as much as white people, and receive longer sentences for the same crimes. As a white female, I wouldn't think twice about calling the police if I was in danger, however trusting the police is a privilege that many can't afford. I have seen a black, teenage girl explain the necessity of keeping a medical note on her at all times, stating that her disability may affect her ability to comply with orders in the event that she gets stopped by the police. White people have had the luxury to look away from these issues in the past, however silence is complicity and enables these injustices to continue.
The fact that people are protesting in the midst of a pandemic demonstrates the necessity for change. Masks were in short supply for healthcare workers during the pandemic, but were plentiful for police and military officers at the US protests, showing Trump's priorities. There has been backlash regarding the violence seen at protests, however most of the protests have been peaceful until police forces have intervened, and any violence has been caused by a small minority of people. Many outraged people aren't even aware that for example Target was looted due to the corporation's work with police forces, and although I definitely do not condone this behaviour, I believe that it is necessary to educate ourselves on the specifics before reacting. Multiple videos have surfaced of cops running over peaceful protesters in patrol cars, firing rubber bullets, using teargas, and confining protesters to then arrest them for breaking 'curfew'. The government response to protests in the US remind me somewhat of those in Tiananmen Square in 1989, in that peaceful protesters were met with armed military intervention and trapped in certain spaces so couldn't remove themselves, police vehicles ran down people, and medics helping injured protesters were hurt.
For those insisting that protests are ineffective, it is important to become educated on the Stonewall riots (which Gay Pride commemorates annually) and the suffragettes' campaigns, which led to women's right to vote. Within 2 weeks of the start of the current protests, the four police officers involved in George Floyd's death are all facing charges, whereas 99% of police killings from 2013-2019 have not resulted in officers being charged. The US Marine Corps have banned public displays of the the Confederate flag, some statues of slave owners are being removed in the UK, and institutions are voicing their stance. On 2nd June 2020, social media was filled with black squares supporting the movement (termed Blackout Tuesday). Although the intention was good and there was an impact, many people didn't educate themselves on the meaning behind it, and rather than spreading useful information, such as donation and petition links, Blackout Tuesday led to the #blacklivesmatter hashtag to be blank at a time where this movement has peoples' attention. As Timi Sotire stated in her article, I believe that this initiative made many people feel proactive, rather than encouraging them to actually be proactive.
Racism in the UK
Although racism in America is very prominent and police brutality is rife, the UK hasn't got a great track record either. Between 2012 and 2018, black people earned on average 5% to 10% less than their white [British] counterparts, and the odds of receiving a prison sentence for a drug offence is around 240% higher for BAME offenders compared to white offenders. Between April 2018 and March 2019, there were 38 stop-and-searches for every 1000 black people, compared to 4 for every 1000 white people, and the delayed Covid-19 report confirms a disproportionate BAME death rate.
Despite the vastness of the British Empire, Britain's colonial history goes largely untaught in schools. Admittedly, I only took History until Year 9, however the only black history I remember learning at school was about segregation in America during the 1920s. I had to independently educate myself on inherently British history, including the Windrush generation and Britain's involvement in the transatlantic slave trade. The lack of black history on the national curriculum ignores its contribution to the foundation of our society and generates ignorance on how Britain acquired a large proportion of its wealth.
'All Lives Matter'
Although this is undeniable, this takes away from the problem at hand. We are at a point in history where we have a real chance to change things; the BLM movement has peoples' attention globally and white people need to use their privilege to advocate for equal rights and protect black people against police brutality and fight against racism. Yes, all lives matter, and yes, white people have been discriminated against in the past too (e.g. Italian and Irish immigrants in the USA in the early 19th century), however these groups now benefit from white privilege and so we have to work together to help those most in need currently. On 4th July, other countries don't protest that 'All Countries Matter', and on Earth Day, there isn't backlash because 'All Planets Matter'. In A&E, doctors prioritise those most in need despite all lives having equal importance, and likewise this movement focuses on the current most vulnerable group.
In terms of global discrimination, all countries need to do better. The self-proclaimed 'land of the free', in which 'all men are created equal' has a prolific history of racism, and discrimination can be found globally from the 'Untouchables' in India to the Mayans in Mexico and the Aboriginals in Australia. There is a lot of work to be done, however racism against black people has been seen time and again globally. For example, despite Argentina being subject to Spanish colonists and between 30% and 50% of the population being black in the late 1700s, currently 97% Argentina's population is of European ethnicity. The disturbing explanation for this drastic change is that between 1868 and 1874, Argentina's president undertook a 'covert genocide' that wiped out the black population. This emphasises how widespread racism and discrimination is, and the importance of fighting against systemic racism.
What can you do?
1) Educate yourself. Knowledge truly is power, and with such a sensitive and important topic, it is crucial for us to keep educating ourselves on black history and how to be actively anti-racist. If you're wondering why black people are more likely to live in poorer neighbourhoods, look into the Slave Compensation Act of 1837 in which slave owners were paid £20 million in 'compensation', as well as 'white flight'. If you recognise the raised, clenched fist as a BLM symbol but don't know its history, look into the Black Panther Party and the 1968 Olympics Black Power salute. Don't stop at Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, keep looking into prominent black figures. Learn about Muhummad Ali, Fred Hampton, Malcolm X, Angela Davis, Barack Obama. These are all very famous figures but take the time to research why and how they achieved their fame and what they actually advocate for. Remember the names of those who have died at the hands of police brutality and look into the factors that enabled these injustices to happen. Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Oscar Grant, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Emmett Till are just a few of the names we know, most names we don't. Watch '13th' and 'Hidden Figures', and read '7 Years a Slave', 'Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race' and ' Between the World and Me' - essentially, be proactive in educating yourself. Learn to appreciate the diversity of black culture without appropriating it, and look into what corporations are investing in and how they are responding and spend your money accordingly. For example, compare NFL's response to Colin Kaepernick kneeling to protest police brutality with Ben and Jerry's response to George Floyd's death and their Partners. We also need to normalise people changing their stances after learning new information and encourage the effort, without enabling a 'White Saviour' complex.
It is absolutely essential to understand both sides of each story. In order to learn how officers keep getting acquitted, we need to learn how the system functions and how police officers are incentivised. I'd very strongly recommend reading Malcolm Gladwell's 'Talking To Strangers' for a very clear (and unbiased) account of Sandra Bland's traffic stop and state police tactics. In summary, an experiment was conducted in Kansas City in the early 1990s, in which police officers conducted far more random searches in crime hotspots (specifically District 144) and after 200 consecutive days, gun crimes were cut by half. This experiment led to a change in state police tactics, meaning officers were encouraged to perform many more random searches and disregard their natural assumption that most people are innocent, instead imagining the worse-case scenarios. There are many accounts of police officers driving around searching for wrongdoings and pulling people over on the flimsiest of pretexts, in order to discover a possible criminal. However, what is widely unknown is that this is actively encouraged; police training manuals teach this tactic, and whilst it can be effective at night in hotspots where the crime rate is high enough to justify this method of policing, outside of these circumstances it leads to mistrust between the police and community as so many innocent people are caught up in the wave of suspicion. This was exactly the case with Sandra Bland. Today, police officers in the US make about 55,000 traffic stops a day, and productivity is encouraged in police forces, for example some supervisors will put up a list of officers and their respective tickets issued each month to encourage this behaviour. Furthermore, in 35 of 50 states, there are no laws against police offers having sex with someone in their custody, meaning that armed police officers can evade sexual assault charges by claiming such an encounter as being consensual.
2) Support Black People
If you are white, learn about white privilege. As an avid traveller, I was shocked to learn that a black friend always researches whether a country is racist or not before booking a holiday there. This had never crossed my mind as a white person and this is due to white privilege. Use your voice to advocate for BLM and call out friends and family. If you can provide a platform for black voices, do it. If you enjoy reading, I'd strongly recommend Michelle Obama's 'Becoming', Malcolm Gladwell's 'Talking to Strangers', and Trevor Noah's 'Born a Crime'. Support black artists, singers, authors, comedians, actors, businesses et cetera, because black people have to work twice as hard to achieve the same recognition as their white counterparts.
3) Donate & Sign Petitions/Open Letters
Donate to worthy causes (such as Runnymede, the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, and Stand Up To Racism) if you can, and if you can't, sign petitions to show support and share them on social media. A large array of resources are here; for UK residents, this is an invaluable source.
4) VOTE
If you are able to protest, cover your tattoos and face, try and go in a group (especially if you are a black woman), and stay safe. However, in order to bring about real change, protesting simply isn't enough. Barack Obama's tweets on George Floyd's murder express the necessity of voting and electing candidates that will act on police reform. Even if you believe that your vote won't make a difference, go and vote for what you believe in as the proportion of young people and those in disadvantaged neighbourhoods who don't vote is astounding and these people need to use their political voice in order bring about systemic change.
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