By Emma Landsburgh
Over the last few weeks our timelines and news media have stopped covering the human rights movement that followed the death of George Floyd. However, the movement is still going strong. America has faced continuous protests, spreading across the pond, and starting in Britain. The whole movement has forced people to truly look at the racist system and their own selves to see what prejudices they hold. As our timelines go quiet, we cannot go back to normal. We must keep challenging people whether that be family, friends, or ourselves.
Police brutality has been a problem in society for centuries, systemic racism running rampant through police units. The problem heightened tensions this year after the death of George Floyd. On May 25th, George Floyd was murdered by Derek Chauvin, after the policeman knelt on Floyd’s neck for nearly 9 minutes suffocating him. Chauvin was protected by three other complicit officers and by a deeply racist system.
The murder sparked international outrage as Floyd was inhumanely killed. The movement rose to ensure justice for all those killed by police. It has now moved to looking into the prejudices that are deeply interlaced within society. From micro aggressions, to the white washing of history, to violent racist acts, society is at the forefront of promoting racist beliefs. Our media is entrenched with fear mongering to make people believe in the disillusionment of racism. Our newspapers are filled with headlines that force prejudiced ideals to seep into the consciousness of the British public.
The protests in America have been met with an onslaught of police brutality as people have been attacked with plastic bullets and tear gas. Many protesters have been arrested, attacked, and killed. In Britain, the telling of our history has been evaluated and the education curriculum has been hoped to be reformed to become more inclusive. Statues have toppled, as in Bristol the statue of Edward Colston was brought down. Edward Colston was heavily involved with the Atlantic Slave Trade. The culture of commemorating problematic figures in the UK is a nationwide problem, allowing a conversation to begin about what should happen.
The UK’s history is entrenched in racism. Cities and the country benefited from the profits of the slave trade. Cities like Glasgow, Bristol, Liverpool and so on are filled with references to this horrific past. Rather than condemning it, it is celebrated and memorialised through statues of slave owners. Street names directly reference the impact of the slave trade in Britain. Whilst the education system in schools completely ignores the horrors of Britain’s past. It completely ignores persons of colour who were important to our culture and history. Change is slowly happening as each problematic aspect is slowly being reviewed.
Although, this has been met with outcry from many as people shout All Lives Matter and do not seem to grasp the seriousness of the situation. The complete disregard for others human rights shows the racism that is so deeply entrenched within our society and the public's consciousness. It does not help when racist politicians are voted in. Donald Trump is racist and has been known for his racism for years. His remarks about protests were extremely racist as he viewed them as “thugs” and endorsed racial violence. Boris Johnson has made numerous racist remarks throughout the years. When politicians who have so much derision for part of the population, no wonder systemic racism thrives. All Lives do not matter, until Black and Minority lives do. We are not all equal when a large portion of the population is constantly under attack, facing prejudice and microaggressions.
After lockdown comes to an end, we cannot go back to how life was before. We cannot let ourselves become comfortable and ignorant to other people's pain. The movement has sparked a change that should have happened long ago. Britain’s society must change, racism cannot be accepted on any level. Black Lives Matter has been an important movement and has evolved since 2013. As we move along with the times, we must learn from the past and listen to those who have experienced systemic racism in Britain. It cannot be said that it does not happen here when our very streets were built with racism. No longer can racism be allowed to be rooted in our society.
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