The slogan is BLM for a reason..

[PrincessConsueIaBananaHammock]

A lot of people dig deep in the past of black victims of police brutality,racism,murder etc. and then they use it to distract and derail from what is going on.

The background of the victims doesn't matter to the police so why should it matter to us? What difference does a criminal record make when you are being killed in the street, in broad daylight , in front of witnesses?

They've killed 12 yo children,men, women, EMT's, accountants, doctors,criminals. All these people have in common is that they are black.

Just this year we had

Ahmaud Arbery
Breonna Taylor
Maurice Gordon
George Floyd.

Late last year there were Atatiana Williamson and Botham Jean.

It's not about a particular person or victim, even if some are more publicised due to video evidence and witnesses.

It's about ALL black lives.

The slogan is Black Lives matter not Only Black Exemplary Lives Matter.

Not sure that those stats illustrate what you think they do

Black people make up around 13% of London's population. All things being equal I'd expect black people to account for 13% of violent crime suspects, and 13% of arrests/convictions etc.

The fact that 13% of the population are responsible for 45-66% of violent crime means you'd expect that 13% to be stopped/arrested/convicted more often. Police responding to crime by stopping/arresting people isn't a disproportionate response.

If you're talking about why 13% are responsible for 45+% then that's a completly different matter. My own suspicions is that it has far more to do with poverty levels and culture than race as crime, poverty and certain cultures are intrinsically linked, I don't have the stats to hand to confirm that but I'd wager that if you looked at the life prospects of a 13 year old black male from Hackney to those of a 13 year old white male from Haghill they'd be more less identically bleak.

Penquinbegin I disagree I don,t think as a country we do have the same level of racism. (take not I am not saying there is no racism.)

@penguinsbegin

The only difference between police here and in the US is that police here don't routinely carry guns.

Exactly. If the gun laws in the UK were the same as the US you would be seeing more deaths by shooting.

I'm not going to argue with people who don't want to hear that we have a real problem in the UK with racism. The facts tell a different story.
The narratives tell a different story. Until people start recognising we also have problems here nothing will ever change. It is engrained in our political system, employment prospects, social mobility, criminal justice and the education system.

Read David Lammy's review of the criminal justice system. The review found that there is a disparity between the number of black people in prisons in England and Wales. Black people make 12 percent of the prison population in England and Wales even though they make up just 3 percent of the population, while in the US they make up 13 percent of the population and 35 percent of the prison population.

And the UK's problem with racism isn't as bad as the US!!!!

If June is talking about racism(as she seems to be in the last comment) in general, then sex doesn't matter.

The disparency between black and whites in prison could be racism. Could be because more blacks have commited the crimes. which again needs looking at because this could be due to racism/lack of opportunity, so more sympton then a cause. (or maybe due to fact a black person is more likely to be sent to prison for same crime as a white person would get some lesser punishment.) We need to look beyond, the prison numbers/ deaths and look at cures which is my point. Look at training police, look up building relationships between police and community,s,. setting up Youth projects. Getting people involved in politics. Basically practical issues.

And training for the courts as well since they are the ones that do the sentencing.

@june2007, you know what. I haven't been a victim of racism in the UK either, so clearly it isn't as bad as in America. I mean, the fact I'm a white woman may have something to do with that... but I'm sure my opinion counts as fact anyway

Well I have had racists comments said to me (in the uk.)but I think thats irrelevant. I question why you assume I haven,t.

Tbh the first step for improvement is listening. Truly listening to lived experiences of black people,their feelings etc. Then an even more important step is to accept it and not minimise,dismiss or try to discredit those experiences or feelings,which still happens a lot more than it should.

Tbh the first step for improvement is listening. Truly listening to lived experiences of black people,their feelings etc. Then an even more important step is to accept it and not minimise,dismiss or try to discredit those experiences or feelings,which still happens a lot more than it should.

^^This.

I honestly give up. This is our life. These are our experiences. But when we try to share we are silenced with excuses and contradictions.

As Angela Davis said “We live in a society of an imposed forgetfulness, a society that depends on public amnesia.” Nothing will ever change if you are not willing to listen and learn.