Black lives matter in New Zealand too
New Zealanders showed up in droves on Monday to stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter protesters in the United States. However, not everyone is keen on the idea, with some claiming that race relations in the US have nothing to do with New Zealand. Let me be clear: they have everything to do with New Zealand.
The protests happening right now in the US are not just about justice for George Floyd, who was killed in the custody of the Minneapolis Police Department on May 24. They are also about systemic racism ingrained not only into police tactics but into wider society through prejudice, oppression, and the resulting lack of opportunity, employment, and educational advancement.
A similar bias exists in New Zealand, particularly against Ma¯ori and Pasifika, as they are severely under-represented in many important sectors. While Ma¯ori are 16.5 per cent of the population, they make up only 3.5 per cent of doctors , 6 per cent of lawyers, and 5 per cent of academic scholars. What’s more, Ma¯ori are less likely to be in senior leadership positions, meaning they earn, on average, less than their Pa¯keha¯ counterparts. Ma¯ori also, on average, suffer worse living conditions and receive inferior education.
Adversaries of reform often blame minorities themselves for their lower societal standing, claiming they are genetically disposed to self-destructive behaviour. This is absolutely unfounded scientifically, and it is an attack commonly used by white supremacists.
One place that Ma¯ori are not under-represented is in the prison system. Over half of New Zealand’s incarcerated population is of Ma¯ori heritage, with Ma¯ori three times more likely to be jailed for non-violent drugrelated charges than Pa¯keha¯.
A reason for this disparity, according to surveyed Ma¯ori experiences, is that police have negative attitudes towards minority populations. Ma¯ori have reported that police continually stop citizens when no crimes have been committed, use verbal abuse, have disrespect for tikanga Ma¯ori, and minimalise racist attacks against Ma¯ori. Police profiling is another tenet of the US protests, as AfricanAmericans are over-represented in the US prison population for reportedly similar reasons.
Along with police partiality, the US protests are also addressing the continued militarisation of law enforcement. The use of excessive force by US police has been highlighted in the past week, with members of the press reporting instances of targeted police violence.
Here in New Zealand, trials of armed police have recently been conducted, including those focused on areas with high Ma¯ori and Pasifika populations. While the programme is under review, statistics show that most uses of the armed officers were for routine traffic stops, a situation where experts say armed police are very rarely needed.
The continued arming of law enforcement is a serious concern for minority communities, as two-thirds of those shot by police in the past 10 years have been Ma¯ori and Pasifika.
With many parallels to the American system, it is evident that we have much to learn from the situation in the US. The same inequalities that the US people are fighting also have presence here in New Zealand.
To avoid following a similar path, New Zealand must take a serious look at itself and consider the minority perspective on societal issues, such as armed officers, police body cameras, and drug law reform.
And, perhaps most of all, we must listen to those disenfranchised. We need to listen to their stories, listen to their experiences, and listen to their struggles. We must allow for the voice of all New Zealanders to be heard.