The U.S shines a mirror on the U.K

Once people started protesting in the U.S, it was only a matter of time when people would be doing the same here in the UK.  Simply because we identify with a lot  of what happens over there.

It pained me to read the comments section of newspapers and on social media sites with people asking, ‘What has those events in America got to do with us in this country? ’ Everything! I thought everybody knew by now that when the U.S sneezes,  the U.K catches a cold.

I’m, of course, referring to the George Floyd murder by the police in Minneapolis. Sadly this was not a one off but the fact that it was filmed and watch by the world, threw a spotlight on the extent of  social, political and economic injustice and inequality  in existence all over the world. A pandemic of racial inequality.

 Systemic racism

The term systemic racism has been banded-about quite a lot lately. It’s another way of saying ‘institutional racism’. It’s defined as a form of racism expressed in the practice of social and political institutions. It’s reflected in disparities regarding wealth, income, criminal justice, employment, housing, health care, political power and education, among other factors. It’s, in my opinion, the most damaging type of racism you can get, as it’s designed to prevent progress.

BAME (Black, Asian,  and minority ethnic)  and the Corona Virus.

The corona virus and the way it has affected the BAME community in the UK and U.S (black and Asian people were more likely to die from the virus than white people) told us in blunt, bleak terms what we already knew. BAME lives are endangered  as a result of systemic racism.

The BAME community are  at increased risk of Covid-19 not because we are biologically weaker and unable to fight off the virus (as worryingly a lot of news reports tried to communicate). The blame has to be attributed to the systemic racism within western societies.

• BAME people (how I hate this term) are more likely to live crowded condition and experience more poverty, contributing to poorer health generally and making it harder to socially distance in the home.
• They are over-represented in “front-line” professions with higher exposure to infection such as health and care work, the transport sector and shop work. Unable to work from home or refuse to work at all, many black men and women risked their lives at a time when the majority of the country were told to stay safe, at home.
• They have higher incidence of stress related illnesses such as heart disease and high blood pressure. Along with diabetes, these underlying health conditions  put many of us at increased risk of severe illness due to Covid-19.

Why is the Black Lives Matter organisation so important?

Some people may try to down play the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement and even to demonise it.  The same was done to the ANC  (African National Congress) in South Africa and The Black Power movement. Recently, President Trumps lawyer, Rudy Guilliani called it a violent organisation. It is not. It’s an organisation which is merely trying to highlight and campaign to redress the inequalities that exist within society. “Our goal is to build the kind of society where black people can live with dignity and respect, ” says its founder Alicia Garza. “ We are not trying to build a world where black people are empowered and white people aren’t, or where there is black supremacy. That wouldn’t make things better.”