I, like the rest of the world, have seen the video that showed the tragic death of George Floyd at the hands of the police in Minneapolis. I wasn’t in shock, because sadly it’s not the first video I’ve seen like this – but I was angry.

I have seen many of my friends sharing quotes, and videos about the #blacklivesmatter movement. I myself have shared a couple that resonate most with me. However, what is important is that I don’t only speak about what resonates most with me – it’s about a bigger and more important issue that may be hard for some of us to understand.

As a white working class woman, born in the UK, I haven’t experienced much injustice in my life. I will never understand what it’s like to be black and how that impacts my day to day life. I’ve certainly never had to worry about feeling unsafe when a police car drives by.

Some people may say that #blacklivesmatter doesn’t affect me; it’s not my place and it’s not my fight. I think a lot of us have thought that before now – maybe you still do.

Nevertheless, now is the time to start altering your mindset. I’m beginning by just finding out more about the history of Black Lives Matter. I’m very conscious of fake news and the amount misinformation out there. I want to know for myself what I can do.

It’s definitely not the responsibility of our black friends and colleagues to tell us what to do to fight racism. If we see a problem, it’s our responsibility to hold those causing the problem to account. As I’ve seen in many posts and articles, it’s not enough just not to partake in racism. We have to be anti-racist. We have to call out the racist behavior and challenge the words we see that promote racist views. We need to be an ally, not just a spectator in the fight against racism.

If you don’t feel comfortable being part of the fight yet, that’s fine. At least educate yourself on what is going on, not only in the US but in the UK as well.

I’ve heard of white privilege before but I don’t think I could fully understand it until reading more about it. Understanding the history and the injustice that people of colour have experienced up until this present day, and understanding your position of privilege is essential to being able to fight racism.

As for the pathetic response of All Lives Matter – I saw a great post saying you wouldn’t go to a breast cancer protest and shout ‘all cancer matters’ – Don’t be that person.

At this time, it’s important we support the black community around us through this difficult period. Please do that first and foremost by educating yourself as to why George Floyd’s death has sparked a global reaction.

It’s not enough to be a passer by any more.

Black Lives Matter.