I will continue to speak up against arrogant racists...
‘Iunderstand that I’ll never understand, but I stand’. This quote, one of the many shared this week during the Black Lives Matter protests, resonated with me the most. It’s powerful, to the point, and as a white, middle class woman I can only offer this sentiment as a demonstration of my solidarity, for how can I possibly, ever understand what it’s like to not be me?
Yet I stand all the same, for what it’s worth.
And this alone is something that is so important right now – how can I, an individual, living in sleepy Catherington at home with a baby all day, during lockdown, make my stand?
By no longer being satisfied in the comfort that I’m not racist, that’s how. I have never been, nor ever will be, comfortable with racism.
Anyone who knows me will know that I struggle immensely with the issue of racism.
I’ve never understood how people can be so narrow-minded and pathetically arrogant about the issue of race, but that doesn’t mean that I’ve done enough to stand against it either.
I, like so many around the world, have been shocked to the core and moved into action by the death of yet another black man in America.
George Floyd died when he was pinned to the floor by white police officer Derek Chauvin who knelt on Mr Floyd’s neck for nine minutes, stopping him breathing.
Chauvin has now been charged with second degree murder and three other officers have been charged with aiding and abetting a murder.
How in 21st century America can this still be going on?
I remember studying American and black history at Southdowns College and being sick to my stomach about the suffering of black people, but what’s changed?
I pledge to no longer be satisfied in the knowledge that I’m not racist and will continue to speak up against those arrogant enough to be otherwise.
Most importantly, I will always bring our daughter Harley up in a way that she never perceives herself to have any kind of white privilege.
People, it’s time to make a stand.