#BlackLivesMatter Peaceful Protest
- Nicole Jade Burt
- Jun 7, 2020
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 7, 2020
Yesterday, I went to the #BlackLivesMatter peaceful protest in Chatham, Kent.
Protests are important in a democratic society.
Some like to argue that all protests do is make a statement and that no real change takes place following it. But making a statement is necessary. It is this vital first step which is needed to start the debate, give a voice to minority groups and for like-minded people to unite together and actively object to the way the system is run. Without an act of solidarity, no change will take place.
I grew up for most of my life in Kent. Here, Black ethnic groups are 10 x more likely to be stopped and searched than White ethnic groups (1), whilst Asian and other minority ethnic groups are 1.5 x more likely to be stopped and searched (1); racial hate crime has increased by 175% from 2015 to 2019 (2, 3); and in 2019, Kent had the 4th highest amount of recorded race hate crime nationally (3). Racism is real in Kent, and it is also real in the rest of the UK (3). Not only was the Brexit campaign built on it, but ever since racism and these race hate crimes have increased (3). I protested because this needs to stop!
There is a lot of concern that these protests are taking place in the middle of a pandemic and I am not ignorant to the fact that people of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) background are at a disproportionately higher risk of being affected by Covid-19 (4) (and I use the term 'BAME' as the reports I have read use this, although it is important to note that not all non-White experiences are equal). This is why all protesters wore face coverings and stood 2 m apart, following social distancing guidelines. However, this statistic further highlights why the system needs to change. Whilst it is not yet clear if genetic factors play a role, it is evident that socioeconomic status does. This is because ethnic minority populations are more likely to have underlying health conditions which makes them more at risk of Covid-19 (4). For example,
people of Bangladeshi and Pakistani background have higher rates of cardiovascular disease than people from White British ethnicity (5);
people of Black Caribbean and Black African ethnicity have a higher risk of developing high blood pressure (6) compared with other ethnic groups; and
people with African, African-Caribbean and South Asian background more commonly have Type 2 diabetes than the rest of the population (7).
Yet, all of these diseases are usually preventable. The reason why these populations are negatively impacted is due to the societal and economical inequalities present which limits their healthy choices and impacts their overall health, ability to access care and living arrangements (8,9,10). The systemic discrimination in the NHS is also one of the reasons why so many ethnic minority workers have been affected by Covid-19 (11).
So, I reiterate that the reason I protested was because the system needs to change in order to end institutional racism.
The housing system needs to change so that "BAME households do not have to wait longer for a housing offer, are not offered poorer quality homes, are not offered flats rather than houses and are not steered away from certain neighbourhoods" (12). Additionally, BAME groups should not be more likely to live in overcrowded, fuel poor or inadequate housing than White ethnic groups (13).
The healthcare system needs to change in order to keep people of BAME backgrounds safe at work. According to an interview with NHS staff, there should be a larger representation of BAME workers in senior roles and fewer in 'risky' areas (14). There also needs to be fewer discriminatory practices which act as barriers for BAME groups when accessing health and social care services (15).
The media needs to be a platform for providing news which is based solely on telling the truth to people and ensures BAME representation across industries.
Businesses and other places of work (and especially fashion and beauty brands) need to stop tokenistic diversity and practice inclusivity.
The criminal justice system needs to change so that people of BAME background are not more likely to be arrested or more likely to have decisions go against them in court compared to people of White ethnic background (16).
But most importantly, the education system needs to change. I personally have learnt so much this past week about institutional racism, and I should have been taught all this information in school. For example, I had no idea what racial microaggressions were, let alone that almost all inter-racial encounters are prone to them (17). Anti-racism education needs to be made compulsory in schools! Schools need to teach us a non-Eurocentric perspective on Britain's racist, colonial past whilst simultaneously celebrating role models and the contributions people of Black ethnicity (and other people of non-White ethnicity) have made to our society.
However, the system can only change when you change.
This is because, your interactions and relationships with others are what makes up a society, and the system is a projection of this. So when you deconstruct your conditioned beliefs, your interactions and relationships will change, and in turn, cultural and social institutions will change. For example, I'm sure you know that social change has resulted from social movements in civil rights, women's rights, and LGBTQ+ rights. We have a collective power to influence social change, and it starts when you become the "change you wish to see in the world". The positive feedback loop of individuals collectively believing in equality, changes the system; and if the system reflects that we are equal, this belief will be implemented in the subconscious of future generations (like it is doing now, but instead because of Britain's racist history, there is institutional racism, which means that people are subconsciously, and most likely unintentionally, racist). When the only 'race' among the human population is 'homosapiens', and every person views themselves as equal to one another, will the marginalisation and discrimination of people with different skin colours stop and racism becomes a thing of the past. So, I protested today because I am being the social change needed to change the system.
This protest lasted a few hours, but this was the statement I made.
This protest marked the first step in making a change! 🖤
Sending out love,
NJB x
Also, you can help by clicking here to sign petitions and donate!
References
1. Ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk. 2020.Stop And Search. [online] Available at: https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/crime-justice-and-the-law/policing/stop-and-search/latest [Accessed 7 June 2020].
2. Report-it.org.uk. 2016. [online] Available at: https://www.report-it.org.uk/files/hate_crime_report_1.pdf [Accessed 7 June 2020].
3. Allen, G. and Zayed, Y., 2019.Hate Crime Statistics. [online] House of Commons Library. Available at: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8537/ [Accessed 7 June 2020].
4. 2020.Disparities In The Risk And Outcomes Of COVID-19. [online] London: Public Health England, pp1-89. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/890258/disparities_review.pdf [Accessed 7 June 2020].
5. Kuppuswamy, V.C. and Gupta, S., 2005. Excess coronary heart disease in South Asians in the United Kingdom. BMJ, [online] 330(7502) pp.1223-1224. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.330.7502.1223 [Accessed 7 June 2020].
6. Chaturvedi, N., McKeigue, P.M. and Marmot, M.G., 1993. Resting and ambulatory blood pressure differences in Afro-Caribbeans and Europeans.Hypertension, [online] 22(1), pp.90-96. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1161/01.HYP.22.1.90 [Accessed 7 June 2020].
25. NHS Digital. 2019. National Diabetes Audit Report 1 - Care Processes and Treatment Targets 2018-7, Short Report [Online]. Available from:
https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/national-diabetes-audit/report-1--care-processes-and-treatment-targets-2018-19-short-report [Accessed 7 June 2020].
8. Ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk. 2020.Overcrowded Households. [online] Available at: https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/housing/housing-conditions/overcrowded-households/latest [Accessed 7 June 2020].
9. Ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk. 2020.People Living In Deprived Neighbourhoods. [online] Available at: https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/uk-population-by-ethnicity/demographics/people-living-in-deprived-neighbourhoods/latest [Accessed 7 June 2020].
10. Ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk. 2020.Regional Ethnic Diversity. [online] Available at: https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/uk-population-by-ethnicity/national-and-regional-populations/regional-ethnic-diversity/latest#areas-of-england-and-wales-by-ethnicity [Accessed 7 June 2020].
11. Cook, T., Kursumovic, E. and Lennane, S., 2020. Exclusive: deaths of NHS staff from covid-19 analysed.Health Service Journal, [online]. Available at: https://www.hsj.co.uk/exclusive-deaths-of-nhs-staff-from-covid-19-analysed/7027471.article [Accessed 7 June 2020].
12. Blogs.lse.ac.uk. 2020.Racial Discrimination In UK Housing Has A Long History And Deep Roots | British Politics And Policy At LSE. [online] Available at: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/racial-discrimination-in-housing/ [Accessed 7 June 2020].
13. Ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk. 2020.Housing. [online] Available at: https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/housing [Accessed 7 June 2020].
14. ITV News. 2020.Ethnic Minority Leaders In NHS On What Needs To Change In The Health Service To Keep People Of BAME Backgrounds Safe. [online] Available at: https://www.itv.com/news/2020-05-29/ethnic-minority-leaders-in-nhs-on-what-needs-to-change-in-the-health-service-to-keep-people-of-bame-backgrounds-safe/ [Accessed 7 June 2020].
15. Szczepura, A., 2005. Access to health care for ethnic minority populations.Postgraduate medical journal, [online] 81(953), pp.141-147. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/pgmj.2004.026237 [Accessed 7 June 2020].
16. Ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk. 2020. Arrests. [online] Available at: https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/crime-justice-and-the-law/policing/number-of-arrests/latest#main-facts-and-figures [Accessed 7 June 2020].
17. Sue, D.W., Capodilupo, C.M., Torino, G.C., Bucceri, J.M., Holder, A., Nadal, K.L. and Esquilin, M., 2007. Racial microaggressions in everyday life: implications for clinical practice.American psychologist, [online] 62(4), p.271. Available at: https://www.cpedv.org/sites/main/files/file-attachments/how_to_be_an_effective_ally-lessons_learned_microaggressions.pdf [Accessed 7 June 2020].
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