Simone Reddington

When I first heard about the murder of George Floyd by the Minneapolis police, I was disgusted that someone could use their power granted by a county that claims to be ‘the land of the free’ to kill another human being. The unlawful killing reminded the world of the huge problem that America has with police brutality and racism, and that issue needs to be addressed.

However, as a young white woman across the Atlantic ocean, I didn’t know what I could do to help. As I watched the Black Lives Matter protesters on the news and on social media, I sympathised with them and supported their anger. I read posts written by black people from Britain who made me more aware of the deeply ingrained racism in British society, decades after the 1965 Race Relations Act. Although the Black Lives Matter movement started in America, it is extremely naive to think Britain is any less guilty. I immediately felt the need to educate myself on issues such as systemic racism, the slave trade and colonialism, but as somebody who has been fortunate enough to have never had to experience discrimination based on the colour of my skin, I didn’t feel as though I was qualified to use my voice about the issue.

I was also, if I’m being totally honest, rather sceptical of some of the white people I saw who were now posting on social media about racism. While I’m sure they had good intentions, I hoped that this incredibly important issue wasn’t going to be seen as a trend or a buzzword that would die out in a couple of weeks. Although I posted a black square on my Instagram for Blackout Tuesday as a sign of solidarity to the protesters and to amplify black voices in a world governed by white supremacy, I have since deleted it and continued to educate myself and share resources that I have found online to spread awareness and the message of the Black Lives Matter movement. Racism is unfortunately so deeply ingrained in the roots of our society that sharing a few nice posts and not using racial slurs isn’t good enough any more. We owe black people the recognition of our white privilege, and to use it to speak up, against institutional racism. Here are some of the ways in which we can do this:

• Educate ourselves. I love the quote by Angela Davis, a black feminist in the 1970s who said, “We have to talk about liberating minds as well as liberating society.” I am currently researching a lot about racism and I think it is so important to gain a better understanding of the problems that black people face. We all have lot more free time on our hands during lockdown and it has never been easier to access information and resources in the age of digital technology. I would personally recommend watching 13th, a documentary on Netflix, but there is also many other documentaries to watch and books to read. I have recently ordered Reni Eddo-Lodge’s book, Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People about Race, which I can’t wait to start reading.
• Don’t just restrict yourself to preformative activism. I would be a hypocrite to tell anyone to attend any protests or riots as I have personally chosen not to attend them as I am still very cautious of the spread of COVID-19 during this pandemic (obviously I appreciate the social distancing measures that the organisers have encourages and if you feel comfortable going to them, then I support them) but there are many other ways. There are loads of petitions to sign online on issues such as justice for many other black people who have suffered from police brutality, to the inclusion of colonialism on the History curriculum in schools. I would also recommend emailing your MP, as they can raise the topic in Parliament and urge the British government to stop selling rubber bullets to the American police and condemn Donald Trump’s awful response to the rioters. Even confronting friends and family members with outdated views is a small but essential step
• Look at the way black people are represented in society/the media and do your bit to help them. This can include supporting black-owned businesses and donate to charities such as Runnymede or the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust. Look at brands who use a diverse range of POC models in their brand, and think about films/TV shows with more POV characters.

I really hope that the Black Lives Movement has a positive impact for all people of colour across the world, and my condolences go out to George Floyd’s family and friends.