I don’t have a specific time I can exactly remember when I first learnt about racism as it is something that I have always been aware of since I was a young child.
This awareness was amplified due to the racism that took place in schools, for example, kids calling black kids “chocolate drop“ and other derogatory nicknames. However, my parents would tell me about how I should not accept anybody's insults or let them treat me differently just because of the colour of my skin.
There are various people within the community that I look up to, from leaders in the past who fought for equality and stood up for their rights such as Nelson Mandela and Rosa Parks, as well as athletes and people in the media. Recently, I've admired the work that footballer Marcus Rashford has been doing, providing meals to kids that are not as fortunate as a lot of us. This is because it shows that the misconceptions people have about black people are not true and that we can be the most caring people that you can meet.
A lot of black professional athletes still endure racism, as seen in countries such as Italy, where racism is still a big problem within football. There are numerous incidents of footballers having monkey noises chanted at them when they are on the pitch. It also happens in England where a player can have racial slurs chanted at them when they are nearby a fan of another team. Within the media, racism can occur too. An example of this is the Oscars, where black performers can have their work overlooked regardless of the stellar performance that they have put into a job.
My race can affect my everyday life in various different ways.
I can walk into a shop simply wanting to buy a bottle of water but end up being followed and stared at by workers, even though I have done nothing wrong and don’t look suspicious at all. I can't walk down the street without 'looking intimidating' and people will cross the road once they see me, for no other reason than the simple fact that I'm black.
Also, if I'm looking to go on holiday to another country I have to do research about racism in that country and find out which specific areas to avoid.
A recurring story of injustice that I hear often is relatives and friends not receiving jobs simply because they are black. They can have better qualifications and work experience, even performing better in interviews but, will still not get the job. I remember a relative telling me that he received a call once saying that he did not receive the job as he did not fit the “look” of someone that they wanted to hire, despite the job being in healthcare which quite clearly does not take that into account, you'd think. These stories affect me greatly and make me angry that a lot of people are not being offered jobs for no real reason. Consequently making it harder for them to provide for their families and making my community suffer at the hands of a racist 21st-century society.
On social media, there is a lot of cultural appropriation happening with people taking things from the black culture just to look trendy and “cool” for the moment before they hop on another trend. An example of this is various models on Instagram using tanners to darken their skin to an unnatural colour and giving themselves hair that is usually seen on black women. Black men have also been painted and even described by people in power like Trump as "thugs" that just sit around and smoke all day with nothing going for them, which is completely false. Black people are also often seen as being loud people and problematic when in reality we are the most friendly and welcoming people that you will meet.
It has taken so long for things to change because the people with the power to do so are racist themselves and have been consistently turning a blind eye to the huge issues that black people always face. For example, police brutality also happens here, not just in America. It took the outrage of George Floyd being murdered for the police to actually arrest his killers, despite the murder being on video, clear evidence. In the UK there is a lot of systematic racism that goes on, such as police stopping groups of black people to be searched for no reason as they still believe the stereotype that all black people are linked to drugs. Schools also still have a lot of racism within them, with members of staff simply brushing it aside as if it is not a big deal.
The government has not done enough for things like this to stop, which is why protests are taking place. People are exhausted and they need change.
'All lives matter' is an ignorant response to the Black Lives Matter movement. We know that everyone’s lives are important in this world, but right now black people are not being treated as equals, so we want everyone to realise and acknowledge it so it can be addressed and not continue regressing.
Today's feature writer is Wes! He is a very talented supporter of Platform. So far you've read some really interesting and educating pieces by female feature writers but, I wanted to capture all sides and perspectives. This is why I'm happy to have his male perspective shared here today. So a big thank you to Wes for writing this really insightful piece.
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