Bored with racism now? Then this column is for you.
Anyone who has ever been involved in challenging it knows that across the UK anti-racism has always had a very short shelf life.
The concern around a small group purporting to represent Black Lives Matter expressing controversial political views has given some who have lost interest the get-out they’ve been looking for.
Never mind the fact that Lewis Hamilton and many others have made it clear that in fighting for equality they are not advocating political movements.
MPs, media companies and football clubs – who couldn’t get down on one knee fast enough as recently as a fortnight ago – are suddenly placing a very liberal two metres between themselves and BLM.
Executives and companies uncomfortable with the hard work involved in an actual sea change have suddenly tempered their solidarity and reverted to type. They rely on your boredom for things to go back to the way they were.
They rely on you believing that Black Lives Matter is a political party when it isn’t.
It’s a belief. An ethos. You either want fairness for black people in the year 2020 or you don’t.
It seeks to end the kind of situation that saw film researcher Ryan Colaco stopped and searched, with his car window smashed, as he drove home recently from a Channel 4 interview to discuss – wait for it – police racism.
Then there was Team GB Commonwealth gold medallist Bianca Williams’ partner, Ricardo dos Santos, who was forcibly, wrongfully, dragged from his car in front of Williams and their three-month-old son.
Both distressing incidents were caught on film and went viral on social media.
Actor David Schneider tweeted about the incident involving Dos Santos on Sunday night writing: “I have never once been stopped by the police. This guy has been stopped 20 times… something is very wrong.”
Black Lives Matter aims to highlight these issues. Also the fact that black men and women fight against injustice in education, politics, health, media and sport on a daily basis.
After George Floyd, the statues coming down, the changing of streets names and all the other cosmetics, this period is the hard part. The push for lasting change.
Redressing the balance in some cases means relinquishing power, breaking up structures, holding people in powerful, influential positions accountable.
It’s the reason why it is misdirection to target the six F1 drivers who decided against taking a knee to back Hamilton at Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix. The focus should be on the people who run the sport.
Similarly it is pointless targeting anyone who doesn’t fancy wearing a Black Lives Matter badge. A bit of plastic won’t send those walls tumbling down.
What matters is your interest. What matters is you caring. If you continue to do so, then we all have a chance.
