BLACK LIVES MATTER
Owen Bizouarn
In New York City, 88% of police stop and searches
in 2018 involved black people. 70% of those searches
involving black individuals were proven to have been
unnecessary with no evidence of a crime being committed.
This is a clear example of racial profiling. When black
people are convicted of a crime, they are 20% more likely
to be sentenced to jail time and typically see sentences
20% longer than their white counterparts, for similar
offences. We also know that having a felony conviction
means, in many states in America, that you lose your right
to vote, further entrenching inequality.
Through these two examples you can understand and see
the racial disparities and discriminations. Although these
statistics are not based in Jersey, they are clear examples
of racial discrimination that exist today. This same racism
is experienced in Jersey. What we are seeing here is a
constant dehumanising of black people and we need
to understand what that means, what history tells us it
means. When you dehumanise a person, you can justify
any crime, action and words placed upon them because
they are not ‘human’, and they are not the same as you.
I think it is necessary for all of us to consider and try our
best to empathise on how we might experience life in the
shoes of those that have been oppressed. To believe that
racism is not prevalent in today’s world is to ignore and
deny clear and obvious disparities alongside the accounts,
reports and videos we can observe on a day to day basis.
We must add to the voice which speaks out against
injustice, white supremacy and any kind of ideologies
that put others in an inferior and oppressed position. Any
form of racism is a threat to not only this world but to the
world we are leaving behind for generations to follow.
To be silent is to accept this. We mustn't shy away from
sensitive issues and ignore uncomfortable truths. When we
look back at history and see examples of revolutionary acts,
we're reminded that we have a voice, we have the potential
and the power when we are united to protest and enforce
positive change in the light of racial discrimination.
We must also remember that in the world we live in today
which manifests silence through fear and hate through
division. love is one of the greatest forms of resistance.
and in times like these we must wage beauty. we must
find ways to love ourselves and to love our neighbours.
For those of you wondering, 'well what can I do?' I think
Angela Davis said it best, ‘you have to act as if it were
possible to radically transform the world’. And, you must
do it all the time. We are all human beings and we all
deserve the right to live in peace and harmony.
Sam Mezec
We live in dark times. Whilst the world
is engulfed by a deadly pandemic which
brings hardship and anxiety on so many,
on top of that we also face the horror of
what seems like a growing tide of racism,
bigotry, Islamophobia, anti-semitism and
homophobia, often incited by cowardly
politicians and their paymasters in the media
and big business, who exploit these divisions
for their own self-interest. But we must always
remember that we are many and they are few.
The power is in our hands to fight for a fairer
society for us all to enjoy, no matter what our
background is. Even though we have plenty
to feel angry about, I ask you instead to feel
determined and inspired.
There are still injustices here we need to
tackle. We still have to do more to tackle
racism, sexism and homophobia. But crucially
we must accept that our freedom from
the injustices of racism and prejudice are
incomplete with our freedom from economic
injustice. Our growing gap between the rich
and poor must be addressed as a priority
alongside these other injustices.
So I urge you to stay inspired, stay involved,
get organised and whilst showing our
solidarity with others around the world, make
sure you play your part in securing a fairer
society here, and I promise you on behalf of
Reform Jersey, we will be alongside you every
single step of the way.
I want to end with a quote which I hope sums
up our sense of optimism though we face
these dark times. It is a quote from Martin
Luther King Jr, who said “let us all hope
that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will
soon pass away, and that in some not too
distant tomorrow the radian stars of love and
brotherhood will shine over our great national
with all their scintillating beauty”.
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