Kaia, 17, is one of the organisers of the Black Lives Matter protest that takes place in Brighton on 13 June 2020, in solidarity with the protesters in America and around the world over the death of George Floyd. Here she writes about why we’re marching and what is being done to safeguard participants.
This peaceful (but not silent) protest will commemorate the changes already marked in history, but also be the start of ticking the boxes left untouched.
This march has been assessed thoroughly by all the coordinators of the team, delving into legal matters and collaborating with others in order to gain a better idea of how to conduct this safely. From the compassion of many participants, we are stacking up on PPE and raising awareness of the imperative safety procedures on our Instagram account. We are in contact with the council, and developing our routes to ensure the safety of the protesters and we are also highlighting the importance of keeping social distance. This will be reiterated at the protest, as well as information about PPE, protesting rights and other matters that will ease any fears around the event.
This movement will allow thousands to stand in solidarity with the victims in America to a corrupt, explicit and oppressive system. We walk alongside many others participating across the UK and across the globe who are instigating movements akin to ours, but we also can walk with our ancestors that fought for the foundations we have today. We all can then provide the foundations for those in the future, who may have to continue this legacy. United, we can shatter the ideology of this fight for equality being black and white; Black Lives Matter is a movement that is pro-black, not anti-white. On the 13th of June, a day symbolic of the 13th amendment, we can highlight the barriers maintaining this racial hierarchy and start to find solutions on a large scale and a small scale. Participants of all ages, all genders, all sexualities, all ethnicities, all religions can start to learn about the world and its very constructors, which were hidden from the education system and those in authority. By being black, you are the products of the history our ancestors did not choose, and it’s not just down to black people to fix it.
If you have any other questions/queries, please feel free to contact us on our Instagram account (@brighton.blm)!
Justice. Continue the legacy!
Kaia, 17
Guys – I read this as my 18yr old son is going and I want to check it out. I’m with the movement entirely. Reading your piece above, I just wanted to say that this is not just America (the govn. of which is appalling) but global and very much in Britain – our institutions fail as have the people (myself included) who hopefully are now learning that it’s been racist just to accept what is forced white privilege, silently and ignorantly. You, the youth seem (again) to be getting it and are strong – make sure this isn’t just about the American oppression. Good luck on the march, let’s also think about the days after as much as the moment. Peace.