This week, the name George Floyd was added to the roll call of the names of black people killed by law enforcement officers in one of our great democracies. His name is added to that of; Ahmaud Arbery, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland, Philando Castile, Michael Brown, Freddie Gray and many more.
The Police officer responsible for the death of George Floyd.
But our list doesn’t end there. Add to it the names of; Christopher Alder, Cherry Groce, Mark Duggan, Joy Gardner and controversially; Mohammed Yassar Yaqub and you begin to see the scale of this problem.
There have been so many incidents that have angered the black community in the last week. Most of them insignificant when compared to the murder of another black person. But what was most worrying to witness and incensed me to watch was the staggering arrogance, the over-whelming sense of white privileged entitlement displayed by both Amy Cooper and Tom Austin.
Called the police on Christopher Cooper (no relation) when asked to put her dog on a leash in Central Park.
So certain was Amy Cooper that the protectors of her white privileged status would put this uppity black ex Harvard grad in his place. That she had no hesitation in calling the police, claiming that her life and the life of her dog had been threatened by a African American. She repeated her claim word for word two more times adding hysterical distressed overtones for good effect.
Called the police on a group of black businessmen who he believed had no right to use his gym.
Apart from blatant racism’s, Tom Austin displays incredible bravery or stupidity or maybe even a dangerous combination of the two. The idea of challenging 3 guys working out in a gym and questioning their validity in being there requires a certain kind of arrogance that only someone who is absolutely convinced of their privileged status might possess.
Perhaps all the protest and demonstrations that have occurred around the globe may make a difference. But my own belief is that they won’t. There will still be inequality in employment. Black men will still receive harsher sentencing by the judiciary. People who have settled in the Uk from former colonies still face the prospect of being removed from the country they have made there own. Black people will still die in police custody. Why? Because it is not in the interest of those who benefit most from the disadvantagement of black people. Nothing short of the total dismantling of our constitutions, a re-write of parliamentary laws and a deracialization of our democracies will begin to reverse the racial hatred and inequality that will inevitably tear our society apart.
A Black Perspective 
A true, balanced & valid perspective but sad that in our so called civilised society of the 21st century this remains with no end in sight 😔
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