My Thoughts: Black Lives Matter

1) Growing up with my friends and seeing how much racism they are subjected to.

2) I work with thousands of black teens every year, racism is a conversation we always have.

3) Being white, some other white people feel comfortable enough to be racist and have the audacity to think you share the same views.

Everything above is only Mesearch though, so you have to look at the Research to see how black people are at a disadvantage and how institutional racism exist…and YES even in the UK.

However, despite my best friends being black and despite having an understanding of black culture, and the struggles that come with being black…I still DON’T fully understand what it is like to be black in this world.

I would be a fool to think all of the above makes me immune, Why? White privilege exists, and I have benefited from this system since my first breath.

So, saying #BlackLivesMatter is not saying any other lives don’t matter, now is the time to really start to listen.

I don’t have all the answers; me and my friends have been discussing this for years, and I thought I was doing enough with my work in schools. I was wrong, I need to do more, especially as I know I have a unique perspective and experiences.

Moving forward I will share some of my experiences and you will be SHOCKED by some of the stories I have to tell. I think this is important to share these stories to give people an idea of the challenges black people face on a daily basis.