Black Lives STILL Matter: keep pushing
In a year when most events seem to have been eclipsed by lockdown and disease, Felicity Beebee reminds us that some things must never be forgotten.
Following the killing of George Floyd by American police on 25 May 2020, protests broke out globally and electrified the “Black Lives Matter” campaign to raise awareness and put an end to police brutality and racism. The media drew attention to the issue of racism and it was amazing to see a shift happening in society. The protests and social media attention went on for many weeks, but it eventually came to a close. So, my question is: where has the campaign gone?
I think a lot of people who read this article can confirm that they posted a black square on their Instagram page in solidarity with those who experience racism. Some of you may have taken activism a step further by sharing informative posts online or signing petitions. A couple of you may have attended a protest. Since the protests stopped, there has been barely any media attention to this issue.
Why has this activism disappeared from social media? Has sharing informative posts on racism gone “out of style”? How much did we achieve from that period? Unfortunately, racism isn’t going to disappear after a month’s worth of activism. The fight needs to continue! So why has it slowed down? Since the death of George Floyd, there have been other acts of police brutality against black people - so we still need justice! We need to continue to say the names of those that have been murdered because this fight is not over.
There are lots of injustices that are still occurring in the US, such as:
And in the UK:
Racism is still an ongoing issue and we need to continue to stand together. If you hear racist language, call it out. If you see racist behaviour, call it out. Keep talking about the importance of fighting prejudice and standing together for equality.
Felicity Beebee, Year 8
Following the killing of George Floyd by American police on 25 May 2020, protests broke out globally and electrified the “Black Lives Matter” campaign to raise awareness and put an end to police brutality and racism. The media drew attention to the issue of racism and it was amazing to see a shift happening in society. The protests and social media attention went on for many weeks, but it eventually came to a close. So, my question is: where has the campaign gone?
I think a lot of people who read this article can confirm that they posted a black square on their Instagram page in solidarity with those who experience racism. Some of you may have taken activism a step further by sharing informative posts online or signing petitions. A couple of you may have attended a protest. Since the protests stopped, there has been barely any media attention to this issue.
Why has this activism disappeared from social media? Has sharing informative posts on racism gone “out of style”? How much did we achieve from that period? Unfortunately, racism isn’t going to disappear after a month’s worth of activism. The fight needs to continue! So why has it slowed down? Since the death of George Floyd, there have been other acts of police brutality against black people - so we still need justice! We need to continue to say the names of those that have been murdered because this fight is not over.
There are lots of injustices that are still occurring in the US, such as:
- Black people are less likely to be employed and once employed, black people earn 25% less than white people.
- In America, if a black and a white person commit the same crime, the black person is likely to experience harsher punishment.
- On average, black men in the US receive sentences 20% longer than white men for committing the same crime.
And in the UK:
- In 2018 and 2019, black people were nine times more likely to be stopped and searched by police than white people.
- UK government statistics show that between 2018 and 2019, black people were more than five times as likely to have force used against them by police than white people.
- Currently, a quarter of the UK prison population is made up of black people, despite them only representing 14% of the whole population.
Racism is still an ongoing issue and we need to continue to stand together. If you hear racist language, call it out. If you see racist behaviour, call it out. Keep talking about the importance of fighting prejudice and standing together for equality.
Felicity Beebee, Year 8