June 02, 2020
The world watched in horror this week as George Floyd was killed in broad daylight in Minneapolis by a white police officer who was filmed pressing his knee down on Floyd’s neck while he repeatedly told him: “I can’t breathe.”
White People, Your Solidarity Isnt Enough
Black people, regardless of where they hail from have inhaled this trauma the most deeply. Some will have experienced police brutality themselves. Most will know the unique pain of racism on varying scales, the micro-aggressions of incorrect name pronunciations and “no, but where are you really froms.”Some are still unwilling to do the extra work and be inquisitive about their own privilege and how that feeds into a system of white supremacy.In response to Floyd’s murder, white people and high profile brands posted messages of solidarity and “togetherness”, but the sentiment often doesn’t run much deeper than what could be conveyed via a hashtag or Instagram post. fashion retailer Pretty Little Thing was dragged for tweeting a tone deaf image of a black and white hand clasped together with the caption “stand together,” while Amazon tweeted they “stand in solidarity” with “the Black community,” while seemingly doing nothing to support the community in question and no mention of or calls to donate to any grassroot movements.
Elsewhere, other individual tweets read: “This is not a race issue, it’s a Human Rights issue!!” and “This is not about white or Black, this is about being anti-racist.” And, if you can believe it, there’s even a video circulating showing a group of white people in the US kneeling down and begging their Black neighbours for forgiveness for years of racism, which makes for uncomfortable viewing. 
Racial equality — an idealistic concept whereby people aren’t treated differently for their ethnicity or the colour of their skin — defines the underlying message of many of these examples, but unfortunately doesn’t travel very far before it hits a roadblock of its own making. My own experience growing up testifies to this. My mum would always tell me the colour of my skin didn’t matter, and that it was the person who I was on the inside that was important. This was a nice idea, in theory, but it didn’t prepare me for the ignorant taunts thrown at me carelessly by the kids at school who would make fun of my unruly head of curls and the light brown colour of my skin.Promises of solidarity mean very little if white people do not take the time to understand that their own lived experiences are entirely different to those of Black people.My mum, who was white, and my dad, who is Black, raised my brothers and I in rural Kent where we were one of two families of colour in the whole village. In an attempt to shield us from the racism my dad lived through growing up in Northampton as a child, my parents taught us that race would never be a key factor of influence in our lives. It was a “mind over matter” kind of lesson, one that was meant to remind us that if we worked hard enough, there was nothing we couldn’t achieve. This parenting technique, while effective in making me a hard worker, would prove discombobulating later on, no matter how well intentioned I believed it to be.
As I got older and started reading into Black history, race became a topic that fascinated me as I grappled with my own identity. I wrote endless think-pieces about the importance of the #BlackLivesMatter protests that were just heating up in America, and my own experiences of racism throughout my life. My mum, while proud of me as she watched me get my work published, always felt a type of way about me discussing race and racism so openly, and on more than one occasion mentioned that by me doing so, I was denying my whiteness and in turn, her. From then on, despite us still having a very close relationship, there was always a glaringly obvious gulf of misunderstanding and foreignness between us. If she were still alive, I’d love to sit down with her and talk about the very real difficulties that I face as a Black woman, instead of brushing over the issue of race as we both typically did. Related... Opinion: Britain's Record On Racism Is No Less Bloody Than America's Because racism simply cannot be effectively addressed without acknowledging that there are differences between Black and white people in society. Choosing not to address these differences in my own household growing up did not protect me from the instances of racism I witnessed once I stepped outside our front door.  
A refusal to acknowledge this crucial difference in many of the responses to Floyd’s murder has been disappointing, to say the least. And this disappointment isn’t excluded to one incident, either. The UK government’s rallying message during the Coronavirus pandemic, that we are “all in this together” completely neglected to take into account the various inequalities faced by BAME people in this country and the impact those would have on infection rates – and more tragically, death rates. We now know that Black people are four times more likely to die from the virus than white people. 
I believe the vast majority of white people acknowledge that racism is wrong, but too often, some are unwilling to do the extra work and be inquisitive about their own privilege and how that feeds into a system of white supremacy. Even white people who identify as non racist need to interrogate their own relationship with white supremacy and how they benefit from this system.  
Promises of unity and solidarity in the form of Social Media posts and yes, even literally begging Black people for their forgiveness for sins from a murky past they don’t even remember, let alone understand, mean very little if white people do not take the time to educate themselves and understand that their own lived experiences are entirely different to those of Black people. 
I understand that for many white people, getting to grips with systemic racism, which ultimately benefits you, isn’t exactly a five minute Job. And if whatever work you’re doing doesn’t feel uncomfortable to you, then you’re not working hard enough. And while black people, through what we say, write, create and produce, can certainly help guide you in the right direction, it’s not up to us to hold your hand. It’s time for you to put in the work. 
Georgia Chambers is a freelance journalist and editor. Related... This Is How Absolutely Massive The George Floyd Protests Are Across The US Opinion: Britain's Record On Racism Is No Less Bloody Than America's Anti-Racism protesters Around The World Demand Justice For George Floyd
Related Stories
Latest News
Top news around the world
Academy Awards

‘Oppenheimer’ Reigns at Oscars With Seven Wins, Including Best Picture and Director

Get the latest news about the 2024 Oscars, including nominations, winners, predictions and red carpet fashion at 96th Academy Awards

Around the World

Celebrity News

> Latest News in Media

Watch It
Millie Bobby Brown & Jake Bongiovi Celebrate “Three Years of Bliss” Ahead of Wedding
March 24, 2024
C4Ehegcq1-A
Kate Middleton & Prince William "Enormously Touched" by Public Support
March 24, 2024
s8fig-RCjFc
Gisele Bündchen Denies Cheating on Ex-Husband Tom Brady
March 23, 2024
_SpRMagA8BM
Eminem, 50 Cent & Snoop Dogg Present Dr. Dre with a Star on the Walk of Fame
March 19, 2024
4bNLs1hxVp8
Opening Remarks for the Variety Summit October 20th, 2023 Jay Penske
March 18, 2024
c6Z707iLq8E
'Everybody Was S----ing Their Pants': Nick Thune Jokes About Being Born in the '70s and Fatherhood
March 16, 2024
mm7Baf6o2d8
Gunna Says Tour Will Up Creativity in Rap, Endorses Flo Milli | TMZ
March 22, 2024
QfMU24fw-Qo
Reporter Taylor Lorenz Says Palace Botched Kate Cancer News Rollout | TMZ Live
March 22, 2024
o43ZucdiyEo
Riley Strain's Body Found After Going Missing in Nashville 2 Weeks Ago | TMZ NOW
March 22, 2024
1m1zM-4_Cs8
Kyle Richards hasn’t spoken to co-star Dorit Kemsley, denies sending her a ‘manipulative’ text
March 24, 2024
LqLZzDP1hm4
Jordan Emanuel on her connection to 'RHOSLC' star Meredith Marks, advice from Amanda Batula
March 24, 2024
5NPAwlOov1Y
Kate Middleton’s uncle Gary apologizes after slamming ‘fickle’ Meghan Markle in scathing interview
March 24, 2024
JWG9kitALZk
TV Schedule
Late Night Show
Watch the latest shows of U.S. top comedians

Sports

Latest sport results, news, videos, interviews and comments
Latest Events
20
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
SK Brann W - Barcelona W
20
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
Hacken W - PSG W
19
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
SL Benfica W - Lyon W
19
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
Ajax W - Chelsea W
17
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Atletico Madrid - Barcelona
17
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Manchester United - Liverpool
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Inter Milan - Napoli
17
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Brighton - Manchester City
17
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Borussia Dortmund - Eintracht Frankfurt
17
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Chelsea - Leicester City
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Roma - Sassuolo
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Verona - AC Milan
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Juventus - Genoa
16
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Darmstadt - Bayern Munich
16
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Manchester City - Newcastle United
16
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Fulham - Tottenham Hotspur
16
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Osasuna - Real Madrid
13
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Atletico Madrid - Inter Milan
12
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Barcelona - Napoli
12
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Arsenal - Porto
11
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Chelsea - Newcastle United
10
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Liverpool - Manchester City
10
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Real Madrid - Celta Vigo
10
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Aston Villa - Tottenham Hotspur
10
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Juventus - Atalanta
10
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Fiorentina - Roma
10
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
AC Milan - Empoli
Find us on Instagram
at @feedimo to stay up to date with the latest.
Featured Video You Might Like
zWJ3MxW_HWA L1eLanNeZKg i1XRgbyUtOo -g9Qziqbif8 0vmRhiLHE2U JFCZUoa6MYE UfN5PCF5EUo 2PV55f3-UAg W3y9zuI_F64 -7qCxIccihU pQ9gcOoH9R8 g5MRDEXRk4k
Copyright © 2020 Feedimo. All Rights Reserved.