TW: This article discusses sensitive issues such as racism, murder and police brutalities.
On the 25th of May, 46-year old George Floyd from Minneapolis, Minnesota died in custody after being restrained by police officers for allegedly using a counterfeit $20 in a shop. A distressing video which has gone viral showed shirtless and unarmed Mr Floyd being pinned down to the ground for at least five minutes as he pleaded to the police, ‘Please, please, please, I can’t breathe’.
All four officers who were at the incident have since been fired and ex-officer Derek Chauvin has been arrested and charged with the manslaughter of Floyd. Justifiably, however, people still want far more to be done. Protests have spread all across the US, but noticeably in Minnesota and Los Angeles, leading to violent scenes across our TV screens. Sadly, one of the protestors died on Monday night of a gunshot wound due to harsh police involvement which also involved chemical irritants being thrown at demonstrators.
It’s important that white people, in particular, can help address this issue and speak out about the clear injustices in society. We benefit from white privilege, not having to worry about being stopped by police for the colour of our skin and our silence only perpetuates the struggles black people are facing, not just in the USA but across the world.
This isn’t to say that we aren’t all facing struggles but the #AllLivesMatter movement is distracting from what is truly at fault which is the deep rooted racism and mentality of a large proportion of our society. George Floyd’s death is in no way a one off and there are so many stories of black people facing routine racism on a daily basis, purely based on race terms.
“it’s now time that we take a look at ourselves in the mirror and face up to the underlying racism that’s still taking place across society.”
Whilst people may want to seem ‘woke’ and share posts in anger of these protests, only posting images on social media is not enough. Raising awareness of the issue is only the tip of the iceberg. Education and discussion is key for white people to help tackle these issues and support minorities. We must speak out if we hear racism in our communities and challenge people on their misinformed mentalities. These discussions need to take place within families and friendship groups as otherwise no progress will take place in advancing black rights. We are often very quick to jump on a bandwagon of defending ourselves as being ‘anti-racist’ but it’s now time that we take a look at ourselves in the mirror and face up to the underlying racism that’s still taking place across society.
Ultimately white people have benefitted from the oppressions of others as systematic racism within institutions, which still exists today, has been used to justify issues such as slavery and lower the economic status of minorities. We, as white people, must use our privilege to amplify change and ensure that our societal outlook is transformed. It is ultimately our silence which is part of the problem. Not only should we use our own voices, but we should aim to amplify black voices that often go unheard. We must use our power in a positive way to promote equality and root out racism.
Below is a list of resources aimed at educating white people on the issues surrounding race relations:
- Anti-racism resources for white people – Document compiled by Sarah Sophie Flicker, Alyssa Klein in May 2020
- Twitter thread with resources linked by @LashNolen on twitter
- Just A List of Anti Racism Resources – by Hunter Maalik
- Ahmaud Arbery Could Have Been Me – by Ibram X. Kendi
- Shareable Anti-racism Resource Guide – by Tasha K. Ryals
- 75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice – by Corrine Shutack
- @goodgoodgoodco on Instagram has a list of books, podcasts, films and other resources to inform you on race issues
- @i_weigh on Instagram also have a list of websites which you can donate to in order to support those who are protesting.
This list is in no way exhaustive, but it is hoped that by utilising some of these resources, education and understanding can help to bring about change and prevent people from continuing to experience inherent racism.
We must demand justice, not just for George Floyd, but for all the other victims of racism who are treated horrifically, simply because of the colour of their skin. It’s crucial that white people speak out about this as we are in the positions of privilege and have the ‘power’ to influence real change in society.
If you would like to share your own experiences on this issue or have your own views on how we can tackle racism, please comment them below. If you have any other resources you would like to share then you can also add them to the comments.
Our thoughts go out to George Floyd’s friends and family during this challenging time.
Lauren McGaun
Featured image courtesy of Fibonacci Blue on Flickr.