Category Archives: events

action, events

Keep going for Breonna Taylor – protest on Sat 11 July across the UK

london_blm WE JUST RECEIVED THESE PROTESTS FOR BREONNA TAYLOR ACROSS THE UK ? Check for your city!
yunes_radhy ??kimmy.quarles

Let us know if a protest is planned in your city, town or village!

Justice for Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry

There have been calls to widen the focus of these protests to include the cases of Nicole Smallman, 27, and Bibaa Henry, 46.

Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry

The sisters were murdered but the police treatment of the families has shocked the country.

The police refused to search for the sisters when the family asked for help to find them. A boyfriend of one of the sisters eventually found the bodies.

Police officers involved in the inquiry took photographs of the deceased and allegedly shared the selfies on some of their social media.

This level of dehumanisation of black women is truly horrendous, not to mention racist. The officers have been suspended.

At the least, the police officers who took the disgusting selfies should be sacked forthwith and then prosecuted for misconduct in a public office.

Two days ago an 18-year-old man was arrested after the police were forced to put resources into hunting down the suspect.

Full report here.

events

Jesse Jackson speaks! Where next for anti-racism and US / UK BLM?

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/usuk-blacklivesmatter-where-next-for-the-anti-racist-movement-tickets-111867592982

What Next for the Anti-Racist Movement?

It has become impossible to ignore the disproportionate effect of state violence on Black communities worldwide but especially in the United States and the UK.

The sheer scale of the recent global protests is reflective of the fact that the murder of George Floyd is not an isolated incident. The protests also come at a time when Black communities in the US and the UK feel that they have been deliberately endangered in the response to Covid-19 and deprioritised in general.

Diane Abbott MP and Rev. Jesse Jackson will be joined on Friday by notable members of the civil rights movement and anti-racist campaigners for a special discussion exploring ‘What Next for the Anti-Racist Movement in the UK and the US?’

SPEAKERS INCLUDE:

Jesse Louis Jackson Sr
American civil rights activist, Baptist minister, and politician.
As early as 1971, Ebony Magazine named Jackson to its “100 most influential black Americans list.” During the 1980s Jackson achieved wide acclaim as a politician and a spokesman for civil rights issues.

Dr. Sheridan Todd Yeary
Senior Pastor of the Douglas Memorial Community Church in Baltimore, Maryland. A third-generation preacher/pastor, Dr. Yeary serves the faith community of Douglas Memorial as the fifth pastor in its 90-year history. Dr. Yeary is often sought after to offer commentary, public testimony, and insight on a variety of public policy and leadership concerns, and has presented in a variety of forums.

Bishop Tavis Lane Grant II
Senior Pastor of the Greater First Baptist Church in East Chicago, Indiana. Bishop Grant is an alumni of Moody Bible College and has several honorary doctorates. You will often times hear him say “Tough times don’t last, tough people do!”

Jonathan Luther Jackson
American business professor, entrepreneur and social justice advocate. He is the national spokesman for the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and a partner in a Chicago-based beverage distributorship

Kwame Kwei-Armah OBE
British actor, playwright, director and broadcaster. In 2018 he was made Artistic Director of the Young Vic, where he has directed Twelfth Night and Tree. From 2011 to 2018 he was previously the Artistic Director of Baltimore Center Stage where he directed: Jazz, Marley, One Night in Miami, Amadeus, Dance of the Holy Ghosts, The Mountaintop; An Enemy of the People, The Whipping Man and Things of Dry Hours

Diane Abbott MP

The UK’s first black woman MP and former shadow Home Secretary.

events

Open online forum – Police, institutional racism and the fight for justice – 2 July

Thursday 2 July 6pm on Zoom

For Zoom link register at bit.ly/31pZN0o

Organised by Stand Up To Racism.

Last week’s event had 500 attendees from BLM groups all around the country, so make this a date.

action, events

London BLM protest Marble Arch to Downing Street – Sunday 5th July 2pm

2 Comments

Called by All Black Lives UK

Assemble 2pm Marble Arch for march to Downing Street. Protest ends at 6pm. Wear PPE.

updated 15:08 BST 5th July

A march against the war in Yemen taking place at the same time. Our government is complicit in the war crimes being committed by Saudi Arabia with the help of British-made weapons.

On struggle one fight!

https://twitter.com/notayesmanbro/status/1279778637680709632?s=20

events

Black Education Matters – Zoom, 2pm Saturday 27 June

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE UK AND THE US LINK UP… BLACK EXCELLENCE! ????? Learn what needs to change in British & US schools and help make it happen. Freedom, liberation and justice starts with education.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CB35DAKpUnQ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

JOIN US @ldnblm & @educatorsforjustice ON SATURDAY (2PM BST/ 9AM EST) ON ZOOM AS WELL AS OUR SPEAKERS:

Tyrek (Founder & President of Educators For Justice Inc. – US)

Davina (Co-Founder & Vice President of Educators For Justice Inc. UK)

Dashawn ‘Redeemed’ Robinson (Educator/Poet – US) 

Sayce Holmes-Lewis (Mentivity CEO – UK) 

Scottie Lewis (Student Athlete/ Activist – US, 20) 

Christina (Student UK, 16)

Shantti (Student UK, 11)

Janine Palm (Activist/Community Worker)

Dr. Shana Eutsay (Public Speaker/Community Worker – US)

The link will be on our linktree on the day! 

Can’t wait to see you there‼️✊?✊? #blackeducationmatters

View all 5 comments

veecubb @annieghc

kanikagram @xcherise_fordex

action, events

Justice for Shukri Abdi – protest Hyde Park London Saturday 27th June 1pm

Below is the text from the petition started nearly a year ago demanding a full investigation into the drowning of Shurki, which many suspect was in fact an act or murder. The campaign is supported by John Boyega and the daughter of Malcolm X, Ilyasah Shabazz, and US rapper Ice Cube.

We call for a criminal investigation to be opened into the circumstances surrounding the death of Shukri Abdi and for a criminal prosecution to take place

We want a fair trial in the case where we get fair justice for the murder of Shukri Abdi – we do not want it to be brushed under the carpet like nothing happened. And we want to see appropriate action taken against those who were involved in the murder of Shukri Abdi.

We want to see Real Justice – based upon a proper and full criminal investigation which should be opened ASAP – and not brushed away like it was 11 months ago.

12-year-old Shurki drowned in the River Irwell in Greater Manchester.

Greater Manchester Police said it was treating what happened as a “tragic incident” and did not believe there were any suspicious circumstances.

Shukri’s family, who live in Bury, said she could not swim and playing by the river was “out of character”.

Her uncle, Mustaf Omar, said: “She was a sweet, innocent child. Her mum is absolutely destroyed.”

“Everything about it is out of character for her.

“She couldn’t swim so she wouldn’t even go near the edge.”

Shukri, from Somalia, was the eldest of five children and was new to the country, Mr Omar said.

She attended Broad Oak Sports College.

Head teacher Paul Greenhalgh said: “Shukri was a lovely young girl, always smiling, always wanting to please people and work hard.”

Sign the petition

events, news

Open national BLM activists meeting – Monday 15th June 6pm – register now

Please see if you can attend the national open meeting for BLM activists being hosted by Stand Up To Racism today at 6pm

Stand Up To Racism is hosting a meeting to discuss the issues confronting the #BlackLivesMatter movement, and the demands coming out of it.

To join this discussion please register in advance.

REGISTER HERE: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/black-lives-matter-we-demand-change-standuptoracism-activists-meeting-tickets-109174770678?ref=estw

The inspiring Black Lives Matter anti-racist movement that has taken to the streets in the US, Britain and across the world, ignited by the police killing of George Floyd in the US, has exposed the racism at the heart of the system.

This movement has also shone a light on Britain’s imperialist and colonial past following the removal of Edward Colston’s statue in Bristol by protesters and the decision by the Museum of London to remove the Robert Milligan statue in West India Quay in east London. There is now a debate about removing other statues such as Cecil Rhodes at Oriel College, University of Oxford.

Meanwhile, the Covid19 crisis continues to disproportionately blight the lives of black communities with figures showing that 34 per cent of deaths were those from BAME communities. Black Caribbean communities are four times as likely to die and BAME communities overall twice as likely to die than their white counterparts. The rapid economic contraction that follows a decade of austerity is also disproportionately impacting on BAME communities.

Hundreds of thousands of new activists have organised the most incredible movement. We want to start a discussion on what demands we raise, change we want to see and how to organise. We want to continue to organise and to make sure that anti-racist organisation is built in every town and city, every workplace and every community.

Some of the demands already raised include:

1. POLICING: Suspend and charge police officers involved in deaths in police custody; end stop and search; racist attacks and murders must be investigated and charges brought.
2. COVID-19: A public inquiry like the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, into the disproportionate deaths in BAME communities.
3. NHS: resources and support for BAME workers to ensure health and safety; an examination of the disproportionate GMC referrals for BAME doctors; BAME workers to be able to report incidents anonymously.
4. EDUCATION: decolonise and depoliticise – the curriculum to must include Britain’s imperialist, colonialist history and enslavement of Africans; decision making on the curriculum needs to lie with teachers not politicians; action on racist bullying in schools.
5. IMMIGRATION: Full citizenship rights for all, end detentions and deportations. Justice for Windrush, refugees welcome.
6. HOUSING: Justice for Grenfell, social housing.
7. ECONOMIC: Investment not cuts. Reparations for slavery for Caribbean families, slavers got reparations, it’s time the descendants of slaves got reparations too.

Tell us your views. Stand Up To Racism is hosting an open #BlackLivesMatter activists meeting on Monday 15 June at 6pm.

Please join us to talk about how can all play a part in taking the movement forward. To join this discussion please register in advance.

events

BLM v far right – what a contrast! We stand for social justice and humanity not violence and racist thuggery

Huge local protests have taken place all over the country over the weekend. The contrast between the peaceful BLM gatherings and the violent thugs of the far right could not be more striking.

To protest the racists and fascist an entirely peaceful and widely reported event was held at Hyde Park and Marble Arch. Thanks to Sasha and sisters from Oxford BLM for taking the lead and our allies at Stand Up To Racism.

Although we disagreed with cancelling the BLM marches on Saturday, we understood why those decisions by various groups were made for reasons of safety and attempting to control the narrative.

Unfortunately however, this meant the racist gangs were able to wander around central London intimidating and attacking black people… that was until reinforcements arrived courtesy of a call by a number of rappers for people to get down to Trafalgar Square.

Also the contrast between the over-policing of BLM London protests and that of the far right on Saturday was shocking. They were allowed to leave Parliament Square unmolested and to roam the streets hunting for people to attack, black and white as countless videos on social media have shown.

And of course the humanity of the BLM movement, which is a campaign for social justice and equality for all, was shown through the noble actions of Patrick Hutchinson: