Systemic racism and discrimination especially against black people has been deep rooted in American society for centuries. This is present within schools, offices, court systems, police departments etc. making sure people of color never have a fair share in anything. Blacks in America are highly faced with disparities regarding, employment, education and security.

Across the United States, historic and ongoing displacement, exclusion, and segregation continue to prevent people of color from obtaining and retaining their own homes and accessing safe, affordable housing even though this is a major prerequisite for obtaining wealth and financial wellbeing. Studies show that, black families hold 2.6% of the national wealth as compared to 90% for white families with the rest shared among other minority groups and for every $100 white families earn in income, black families earn just $57.30. 

Black unemployment rate over the years has shown to be twice the size of white unemployment and even blacks with college degrees face a higher disparity of being twice unemployed as compared to their counter white folks with the same college degree.

The healthcare system is no different from other sectors. Blacks are many times unlikely to receive emergency health care in the United States and are reduced to very low funded hospitals with often unexperienced professionals. This places them in very vulnerable situations with regards to their health.

Within the education sector, black student make up 18% of preschoolers and 26% of overall student enrolment across the country. The sad thing however is that, of the 18% of preschoolers and across other age groups people of color constitute a whopping 50% of suspensions as compared to white students even with the same or similar offences and often end up with referrals to law enforcement where the normal practice is to sentence them as adults.

The American criminal justice system is so completely biased towards white people and for similar offences, a black person has the highest probability of arrest and receiving a harsher sentence and blacks make up 40% of the total prison population in the country. Black people in America are prone to daily surveillance and harassment by the police and in recent years this has led to lots of murders of black people by the police who are supposed to protect them and keep them safe. Blacks in America are treated as no more than chickens by the police and are shot with the least provocation even when they are unarmed and pose no threats. 

The American society has and continues to make sure that blacks have the least share in anything a human being needs to have to lead a decent and meaningful life. How far can the black child dream into a beautiful future? And when they do how far really can they go before the system chokes them up and shows them how society sees them- people who deserve nothing good, who deserve no human dignity and who dare not dream of a life they want, people who cannot have rights of a normal human being.

 Life continues to be a daily hassle for people of color just because of a mere thing as having a black skin. The American society tells the world daily that having a black skin is a great offence and being born black is a complete crime. The black person faces daily discrimination and threats even from their white counterparts who know the power they have because their society is on their side. The depth of racism in America is so unspeakable and so inhuman that this should not and cannot be allowed to go on anymore.

On the 21 of March we commemorated the Elimination of Racial Discrimination day.  60 years ago, on 21 March 1960, police opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration in Sharpeville, South Africa, against the apartheid laws. Since then, apartheid in South Africa has ended, but structural racism worldwide has not. 

Last week we witnessed the brutal killing of George Floyd by several police officers in Minneapolis, USA.  “I can’t breathe” were the words he kept saying but the police officer who had his knee on George’s neck had neither the conscience nor empathy for the life of a man who had a family and people who cared for him. He didn’t even budge when his prey (this is what his actions portray) with his life ebbing away, sorrowfully calls his mama. Who knows what thoughts went through his dying mind, what pain filled his soul and what heartbreak he had to endure along with the physical pain while he helplessly passed on in the hands of a ruthless policeman with his colleagues standing idly by caring less for anything. 

Such racist acts of violence is not an isolated case, we can’t be silent. We recognize structural racism all around the world, it is not only in the USA, but due to the current situation we are focused on the USA. 

We need to fight racism all around the world and protest everywhere and shout out loud, Black Lives Matter.! As at the moment the USA president refuses to say ‘Black Lives Matter’, and only says all life matters, which is by itself ignoring the matter! We know of course that all life matters however, this is not what the systemic racism around the world is telling or showing us. This must change!

Martin Luther King Said: “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends”. We can’t stay silent anymore. 

We stand in solidarity with the anti- racist riots happening worldwide to stop the silence and make sure that such acts do not go unnoticed! 

No more silence on prejudices, ignorance, thoughtlessness and stereotyping of people of color! No more silence on a system that privilege one human beings life over another based on their race! We are in our hearts with the relatives and family of George Floyd and all other victims of racist violence and we will continue to fight the racists. 

Those responsible for the death of George Floyd must be held accountable in an independent state of justice. The United States’ government must ensure that the police stop using excessive and illegal force