Protesting With My Mum: #BlackLivesMatter

SPECIAL GUEST FEATURE: 

My name is Tee (Risi's daughter) and today I will be taking over my mum's blog.

My mother and I: En route Parliament Square

Unless you’re living under a rock, I would assume that you are aware of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests going on across the globe, as a result of police brutality and the unjust murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and many more black lives.

My mum holding a banner that reads: White Silence Is Compliance.

Today (06/06/20), I accompanied my mum and thousands of other Black Lives Matter protesters (including Anthony Joshua 😉) in Parliament Square, London UK. We peacefully marched through London in show of solidarity with the movement in the USA and to highlight racism in the UK.

It was last night when my mum informed me that she would be attending the Black Lives Matter protest in Parliament Square. And I’m not even going to lie, I was very shocked to hear this. Considering this draining week of online activism, my friends and I had been discussing how nice it would be to attend one of the BLM protests. However, with COVID-19 still apparent and the negative portrayal of the BLM protests in the media, many of my friends’ parents had said no and the rest of us never bothered to ask our parents, as we “knew” it would be an automatic no. So, assuming we weren’t allowed to go, we laughed at the idea of our parents going. Impossible! The thought of Nigeran parents at these rallies… it just doesn’t seem like their ‘kind of thing’. Apparently not my mum though.

This morning, I woke up to my mum excited and fully prepped to go to her first protest. As you can see in the picture above, the necessitates were laid-out perfectly:

• ‘Black Lives Matter’ T-Shirt
• ‘Queen’ Beanie Hat (you know my mother)
• Mask & Hand Sanitiser(COVID-19 Protection)

Once my mum informed me that she intended on going on her own, I was shocked. I naturally assumed that she would be attending with her friends. And you can only imagine why I thought this… the idea of my mum navigating her way around London… alone… (after asking me multiple times to find out how she gets to Parliament Square) Well, a girl can only assume😂 . I asked her if it were a good idea and if she wanted me to come with her. However, my mum made it very clear that she was very capable of attending this protest on her own. This was later followed by “Oh yeah, how do I get there again?”…

It was in that moment, I knew… I should go 😅. My mum was glad to hear this and handed me a T-Shirt in similar style to hers, reading “Don’t Search. I’m Black”.

My mum signing a BLM banner.

My mum and I attending our first protest together was an experience that was unmatched. In Parliament Square at 1PM, moments before the march commenced, thousands of protesters gathered together on one knee to obtain a minute of silence, to commemorate the black people killed by police brutality. After assisting my mum up from kneeling😆, she soon started dancing as a group of drummers were playing in the crowds right before Winston Churchill’s statue.

The march progressed.

A few thought-provoking photos that I snapped today.

Megaphones. Signs. Chants. Unity. (And let me not forget the free sausage rolls - they were vegan 😐 but at least they were free)

Whilst we marched through London, many messages were held in the air ‘The UK Is Not Innocent’, ‘Silence Is Violence’ and ‘You Can’t Have The Rhythm, If You Don’t Want The Blues’ and chants were yelled, such as, “No Justice, No Peace – No Racist Police”, “Say His Name: George Floyd” and more offensive – but true- chants like, “EFF BORIS, EFF TRUMP”, when these chants were shouted, I would look for my mums reaction, her eyes would go wide😳 followed by a laugh. Then we would both join in on these controversial chants.

It was a wonderful protest. Once my mum and I reached Vauxhall, a car was blasting Changes by Tupac. Many protesters gathered round the car, with signs held high. It was perfect. That was when my mum and I decided it was time to head back home and grab a cheeky McDonald's on the way.

“Say Her Name: Belly Mujinga”

Unfortunately, there seems to be an idea that the Black People in the UK do not suffer the same scope of racism in the US. However, cases such as Belly Mujinga, highlight, institutionalised racism in the UK is also a massive problem. Belly Mujinga, was a rail worker who got spat at by a white male who had stated he had coronavirus, and she later died of COVID-19. Conveniently, the police concluded the attack -which was clearly racial-motivated- didn’t lead to her death.

I have heard many things concerning BLM protests, such as, Right now isn’t the time to be protesting and Wait until COVID-19 passes to protest. But I’m tired of waiting. We’ve been waiting. I refuse to let anyone tell me to wait any longer to demand change and I refuse to be silent about it.

If this blog post has inspired you to attend a protest, make sure you are staying safe. Across social media, activists and organisations have shared tips for protesting safely and effectively, including what clothing and protective gear to take along, and what groups to look to for guidance.

However, not everyone can attend these protests, especially if one is vulnerable to COVID-19. Fortunately, protests aren’t the only form of activism, so use this time to educate yourself, sign petitions, donate, share links and encourage people to do the same.

Here are some carrds that can help you gain information, links to petitions, about protests, etc

blacklivesmatters.carrd.co

blmuk.carrd.co

blmstanguide.carrd.co

blmsites.carrd.co

In addition, I would like to give a big shout out to my Aunty Dela for also protesting today.

 

Aunty Dela, in her protective gear, holding her sign that reads: Justice for George Floyd, Black Lives Matter.

Hope this blog post has inspired you to make a change. 

Thanks for reading

Tee ✊🏿 (Saturday 6 June, 2020)

P.S. Black Lives Matter. But just saying it doesn’t do anything. Its not a trend, take action now!

If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor ~ Desmond Tutu