Is Britain finally confronting its racist history?
The death of Minneapolis man George Floyd at the hands of the city’s police force has led to protests all over the world in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Last week saw large gatherings of protesters all across the United Kingdom, and this past weekend saw the destruction in Bristol of a statue commemorating slave trader Edward Colston.
This renewed scrutiny has led to necessary conversations about the inherent racism of the United Kingdom, and the role that racism and systems of oppression have had in the development of the UK.
The discussion about racism in the UK is nothing new, and action is long overdue, as illustrated by a conversation between James O’Brien and actor, activist and author Akala on Unfiltered.
During that conversation, Akala discusses the UK’s history of racism, and how it is not unique to the black population of the country.
“Even if black people were not here, it would be someone else. It was the Jews and the Irish before we got here.”
Akala says the UK has a long, racist history, that’s not unique to its black population. #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/nbJHlXh9nh
— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE_UK) June 5, 2020
