Which side of history will you be on?

JOY Gansh, 24, is a textiles graduate from Duncan of Jordanstone who has lived in Dundee all her life. She had organised the original Black Lives Matter protest for Dundee before postponing the event due to the coronavirus. Here, in her own

words, she explains why it is time for change.

A LOT of people might not understand why the murder of George Floyd in America has shaken the whole world.

It is because this is not an isolated crime – black people are constantly the target of systematically racist attacks.

We are hurting and we are angry. If you do not understand why, perhaps it is because you are able to turn a blind eye to what is happening – but we can’t.

It feels as though every day there is a new name trending, a new ‘Justice For’ hashtag, and we can’t take it any more

We are being killed.

We need to learn and make a conscious change. Do not switch off because you feel uncomfortable. Scotland is not blameless. Scotland was built by imperialism and the slave trade and everyone should be aware of that. It’s never too early to learn about racism, or white privilege.

I implore you to teach your children, so that ignorance is no longer a crutch for racism. Call out friends and family for using racial slurs, do not use the excuse that a person is of a different generation and does not mean any harm. We are all capable of growing and changing.

If we tell you something is offensive, listen to us. Do not dismiss us as dramatic or “snowflakes” who just “love to be offended by anything”.

There’s a plethora of information out there, instead of asking your black friends to tutor you for free.

These words may seem pointed, but I am asking the white people reading this to understand your privilege.

Whether you like it or not, you have a privilege in this world because you were born white.

This does not mean you might not have faced hardships. It means that your race has never been an issue for you. Use the privilege given to you to fight for us. If you say ‘all lives matter’, prove it. Fight for us like you would yourself.

Sign and share petitions, write to your MPs – we need justice for all those the system has wronged. We still need justice for Sheku Bayoh, five years on. We need justice for Belly Mujinga. We need justice for every other black person whose life has been stolen from them.

We need justice and the time is now.

We should not have to fight for our lives but here we are, so fight with us and let our voices be heard.

Black is beautiful, strong and also delicate. We are loud and soft. We are not tired of being black, but we are tired of how we are being treated. Our lives matter, our futures and dreams matter. It is time for change and I do believe it is coming.

Which side of history will you be on?