Black History Month and Black Lives Matter

This week marks the beginning of Black History Month, a time where we reflect on the achievements of Black communities and their contributions in society, economically and socially.  It’s a time where we bring black culture and Black History to the forefront of the conversation and raise awareness and educate about the continued racism in today’s society. Although we should always be talking about inequality, racism and Black Lives Matter - it is especially important this month to be doing the most. 

The Black Lives Matter movement picked up momentum in 2020, after a series of protests in the name of George Floyd, an African American security officer brutally murdered by police in Minnesota on the 25th of May 2020. Although we are moving in the right direction towards eradicating racism, we still have some way to go. Here are some statistics that highlight the continued need and support of the Black Lives Matter movement and Black History Month:

• Black children are four times more likely to be arrested compared to white children 
• Nearly half of Black households in the UK were living in poverty in 2019, whilst it is one in five white families according to The Social Metrics Commision.
• In 2020, only 5.7% of Black, African or Caribbean individuals worked as managers, directors and senior officials, compared to 10.7% of white people according to The Equality and Human Rights Commission

This is why education and allyship is so important. We have put together a list of resources and places to donate below: 

Useful Resources: 

https://blacklivesmatter.uk/ 

http://www.standuptoracism.org.uk/ 

https://www.stophateuk.org/ 

https://www.theredcard.org/ 

https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/#educate 

Places To Donate: 

https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/#donate 

https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd 

https://stephenlawrenceday.org/donate/

SARI | Stand Against Racism & Inequality

We should all be united together, support one another and celebrate each other's unique cultures. Be the force of change if we all want to see positive impacts on our society.

Author: Sara Poidevin-Hill