In 2020 there was an almighty shift in the cosmos. The Gods or fate or some intergalactic villain …maybe from let us say Titan, had snapped his fingers and just like that many of us watched helplessly as those around us simply, sadly just slipped away.
As the world leaders assembled, overseen by who (see what I did there) some secret government initiative to form a shield (I did it again) to protect survivors, a second equally world changing event took place.
George Perry Floyd Jr was murdered in cold blood buy a Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin.
For many people, the event reverberated through the world and created a where were you moment. A moment similar to the feeling you get when you recall what you were doing when princess Dianna died, or the twin towers fell.
Everybody will have their own account of what it felt like when they first saw the video. 9 minutes and 29 seconds of torture. Images of evil seared itself into the brains of millions via social media, mainstream TV broadcasts and newspapers.
The horror. Oh, how we all recoiled and clutched our chests as we acknowledged just how damn sickening this incident sorry murder was.
The story of how this affected the members of my family is well documented by now in the blog i wrote about the year that was 2020 but along with it came great anguish. I had seen this before. Rodney King , Oscar Grant, Eric Garner, Sandra Bland and that’s just a few names of the top of the head that stick out due to the publicity their public executions got at the time they were murdered by police. George Floyds murder was not the first and it has proved not to be the last.
Que the calls from many casual acquaintances in the social health care sector. Que the onslaught of friend requests on social media. What I experienced was lots of people who suddenly got in touch with a reality that they had been born fortunate to ignore.
I had a lot of people frantically scrolling through their Facebook friends list trying to find that one black friend.
Just imagine the cringe worthy scene. Middle aged senior managers from all walks of life, swiping like mad…where did I put him? Where did I put him?
Is that him?
No John. That is the tanned guy we met in the south of France who recommended that nice merlot.
Is that him!?
John that is my aunt Gwen dressed up for Halloween!
Ok, that is it! There is only one thing left to do. I’m sending Cliff Faulder a friend’s request.
I accepted a few, but when I caught on to the fact that this newfound popularity was due to the severe guilt symptoms caused by an allergic reaction to being thought of as racist, I stopped.
I do not want to be anyone’s token black mate.
Throughout the year I have often thought about many things related to George Floyd. You see when you are a Black man that video just hits harder. You are George. Your son is George. Your Dad is George, your brother, cousin, bredrin, spar, pardie, fam, don, dawg, ya G. All George.
I honestly think about George a lot. I thank him for his sacrifice. I know he did not give his life willingly to shed a light on the systemic racism that has claimed more lives than Covid 19, but his suffering brought about a global consciousness that I have never before witnessed in my lifetime.
Derek Chauvin played his part too.
Derek is a piece of racist filth who was so committed to his murderous racist ideology that he carried out his heinous act on the world stage.
Sadly, many people live under the illusion that they are not racist, so they are doing their bit.
Racism does not matter enough for them to be an anti-racist.
Reputation over racism.
Reputation over racism.
Reputation….
Over….
Raci…..
Nah I cannot go out like that. George Floyd? I am going at this for George Stinney! Rodney King, Martin Luther King and all the God Damn Kings from Africa!
I have to. I am compelled to. I am one of the millions who do not have the privilege or the luxury to sit back and do nothing.
Phew! Breathe Cliff. Breathe. Feel your chest rise and fall. Breathe in…1,2,3,4,5…Breathe out.
Ironic is not it. George Floyd could not breathe and here I am struggling to fill my lungs with air, and I have not got the full weight of the law pressed hard against my neck.
So why can’t I breathe freely? This is ridiculous. Why?
It is 12 months on, I watched the world react. I watched Black, White, Asian, young, old, men, women, trans, gay, straight all say enough is enough!
So why am I still struggling to breathe?!?!?
Most of you will not want to read the next line but I’ll write it anyway.
I did not see any of the decision makers for the social health care sector on the marches as they all went underground. Their strategic approach was to lay low and wait for this Black thing to blow over.
Sure a few have paid lip service to social change but there are only a few who have been as committed to the cause as the scared to death, pleading for his life George Floyd or so committed to their racism as Derek Chauvin.
Your indifference and ambivalence is defining you and the organisations you lead.
Breathe Cliff.
But there is hope for change.
Literally a change gone come (God I hope your singing the Sam Cooke chorus right now).
If racial indifference and ambivalence is the cancer to the social health care sector then to remove the cancerous cells or the racial insensitive tumour, you got to go at the source.
This feels like a great time to announce that AboutFace has officially formed a partnership with Northampton University and the Change Markers Social Enterprise.
The Change Maker Programme is focused on transforming lives and inspiring change. The reason that this is such a wonderful alliance and powerful partnership is because AboutFace shares the same vision. Our stap line “A RACE WITHOUT FEAR” is 100 percent about changing lives.
We work with organisations who understand that racial ambivalence spreads through the life blood and the lymph nodes of an organisation.
The leadership determines the course of treatment.
Anti-Racism practice is like chemotherapy. AboutFace is a skilled surgeon.
From September 2021, students at Northampton University will be the United Kingdom’s first higher educational institution to have embed the EmbRACE training anti-racism programme by AboutFace in partnership with Change Makers.
We are most definitely about that life.
So, a year on from George Floyds death, who is about that life?
Let us take roll call.
- Northampton University Change Makers.
- Reliance Social Housing.
- Criterion (Reg 44 and consultancy).
- Cabinet Member John Cotton (social inclusion lead for BCC).
I am very proud of you all. Your standards of practice are why I am sure that George Floyd did not die in vain.
Congratulations. You continued the path of instilling anti-racism practice regardless of whether or not it was trending that day.
By working with AboutFace you have all displayed your commitment to work through difficult conversations ask uncomfortable questions and get on the same side of the table when we open the racial pandoras box.
I will watch with great pride as those you work with receive a better service because of your development in anti-racism practice.
You are the leaders in your sectors, and I salute you!
A year on from George Floyds death.
You are the difference. I Salute you!
Cliff Faulder
CEO
AboutFace.
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