Sadiq Khan, London MP, has been accused of “forcing politics down people’s throat,” by bitter Britons who stated their new year’s, “had been ruined,” by the BLM reference.
The question: when did a movement against the murder of black people become political?
The usual progressive nature of London felt disturbed by the uneducated display of views by so many people. The less blatant displays of racism in the UK have created the notion that it is no longer a significant issue, however, the public’s reaction to multiple events concerning BLM in 2020 shocked many into realising Britain’s true nature.
Earlier in September of 2020, Diversity displayed an incredible performance on Britain’s Got Talent depicting the horrific effects of police brutality and the death of George Floyd. The performance moved millions yet sparked outrage resulting in 15,500 racist complaints. The portion of Britain taking offense at a performance which represented solidarity and an urgency for peace, expresses the racism ingrained inside so many people’s understanding of Britain’s societal issues.
More recently, the racist abuse fired toward the Sainsburys Christmas advert which featured a black family hoping to spend Christmas together brought shame to the festive spirit of the UK. Various whites complained about not feeling “represented,” and “alienated.” The statement that they do not feel represented by a loving family on Christmas expresses that the problem was not with the family, but that they were black. The self- absorbed nature of these comments is a reflection of certain societal factors of Britain which continuously compensate for its white citizens within a lack of representation of ethnic minority groups in media, arts, career choices and many other parts of society.
The take-away from these events is that racism is still hugely engrained within the British system and that we must continue to work as a country to silence the views of those bringing hate to a society that should be filled with solidarity and equity. Even though racism in the UK is not always blatant, as a society, it must be recognised that the effects it has on institutionalised systems such as the justice system are damaging. As a country, this message should be reflected in everything we do, Black Lives Matter!
