What would you do if the whole world was watching?

The year is 2015.

Bruno Mars releases the absolute BANGER?Uptown Funk.

Leonardo DiCaprio stars in?The Revenant, which goes on to land him his first Oscar win.

David Cameron wins his second term as Prime Minister.

Zayn decides to leave One Direction.

Apple releases the very first Apple Watch.

After 182 years, British Taxpayers finally finish paying off the ￡20million in compensation awarded to slave owners by the government in 1833.

Erm... sorry,?what?!

Let that sink in. You personally paid towards the abolition of slavery.?Black people living in Britain in 2015 were personally paying towards the abolition of slavery, which almost certainly directly affected their ancestors.?The British Government borrowed so much money to abolish the slave trade that Black people were paying slave owners compensation for keeping their ancestors as slaves. 2015. FIVE YEARS AGO.

So now?I've got your attention, let's talk about this. I'm going to assume that everyone?reading this has heard about the recent unthinkable murder of George Floyd that took place in Minneapolis, USA, but just in case you've been literally living under a rock, I'll brief you:

On 25th May 2020, George Floyd - a Black man - was arrested after a shopkeeper called the police on suspicion of him using a?counterfeit $20 note. Three police officers pinned him to the ground, including one of them who knelt on his neck - for EIGHT MINUTES AND FORTY FIVE SECONDS - until Floyd stopped calling out for his dead mother and stopped shouting "I can't breathe".

Stopped shouting and?stopped breathing.

George was taken to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead. The four police officers (one stood by and watched whilst the others killed him) have now been arrested and charged (only with second degree murder and aiding and abetting murder, mind you), but this is only after significant pressure from US citizens.

The world is now watching America in carnage as protests - both peaceful and otherwise - are met with police brutality directed by the President of the United States himself.

I know that companies, brands, organisations and other community groups often refrain from making political statements or publicly speaking on anything remotely associated with government-related matters through fear of upsetting people. But this is?not politics.?This is people's lives. And I really don't care who this upsets.

"In a racist society it is not enough to be non-racist; we must be anti-racist." - Angela Davis

I cannot and will not be silenced on this matter. For a long time I felt I had to justify why I felt so?strongly about this by constantly relating it to my own personal circumstances. "My husband is Black.?My children are Black.”?The truth is, we have got to stop justifying our disgust at these?events and the daily reality for black people all over?the world by relating it to how personally connected we are to black people.?I care because?Black people are people?and the way they are and have been treated for a very long time is utterly inhumane?- and this would be no different if I was married to a white man and raising white children. It doesn't matter if you have 10 Black friends or no Black friends, this is something you should be using your voice for because this cannot continue.

White people - Black people?need us.

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” -?Desmond Tutu

Now is not the time to be neutral.?Now?is the time to take action and start by working on being a better ally. And here’s how:

• Understand your privilege and use it to do good.?Some books?(￡4.99 on Kindle, you could literally start right now)?to get you started on your journey:

‘Me and White Supremacy: How to Recognise Your Privilege, Combat Racism and Change the World’ by Layla Saad is not just a book, but an opportunity for self-reflection and chance to make a change in yourself before moving to change others.?

‘Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race’ by Reni Eddo-Lodge. Said to be “Beautiful, illuminating and rightly distressing, Eddo-Lodge’s polemic on structural racism is a must-read for anyone who is keen to better understand the ways in which we’re all complicit.” Sunday Times Bestseller.?

‘White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism’ by Robin DiAngelo, which explains how racism is still at the heart of society and pushes the reader to become a better ally by asking more questions and seeking more answers in order to dismantle the current racial divide.

• Listen to Black people.?And?hear them. Hear their experiences, listen to what they are telling you. Learn their realities. Do not dismiss their stories and do not hide away when it is uncomfortable to listen. If you're uncomfortable, you're learning. And learning is?very important. Give Black people a platform to voice themselves. It is often said that the new racism is to deny that racism exists - don't do that.?Don't do that. Talk to your Black friends right now and ask them what they need.?

“It is white people’s responsibility to be less fragile; people of colour don’t need to twist themselves into knots trying to navigate us as painlessly as possible.” -?Robin DiAngelo

• Do not be silent.?"It was different back then, they don't really understand", is not an?acceptable?defence for your Grandad being racist. Jokes made at work off the back of stereotypes are not?funny if they are made at the expense of a highly marginalised race of people who are still being penalised?to this day?for the colour of their skin.?Hold yourself and your people accountable. Talk to your children and other family members. Do not choose silence through fear of being met with?resistance.?
• Educate yourself. Knowledge is power. The more you know, the more you can teach. The more you can teach, the more you can make a difference. Follow more Black influencers and read as much as you can, as often as you can. You can make a difference to those in your immediate network by being fully armed with facts and knowledge and being ready to fight against racism at every opportunity. Be ready for tough conversations and do not shy away from them. I know not everyone is built (mentally -?not?physically)?for confrontation like I am, but start training your confrontation muscles (not an actual part of the anatomy, but should be) and you'll soon find them useful in this ongoing battle. The thing about educating?yourself is that it allows you to?articulate yourself better. Educate, confront, articulate -?go.
• Do not lose interest. In a few weeks, we will see less #BlackLivesMatter on social media. People will go back to posting photos of avocado on toast and bikini pics captioned "Marbs 2019, #TakeMeBack", but Black people will still be Black. Black people will still be marginalised, disadvantaged, mistreated and often ignored. It is your duty, my duty and the duty of non-black people everywhere to ensure that we do better - not just today, but?every day.

And finally...?

• Mobilise. Sign petitions. Donate to funds that need it. Support Black-owned businesses.?Pro-black does not mean anti-white, but is it needed now more than ever. Talking is good, but?doing is better.?The fight against racism and the Black Lives Matter movement does not finish at an Instagram post or social media hashtag. What would you do if the whole world was watching?

Well, they are. And?we all need to act now.

?“No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” -?Nelson Mandela

#BlackLivesMatter