On the 25th of May 2020 in the state of Minneapolis, America, a 46-year-old African-American man called George Floyd was unjustly killed by police. The outrage expressed by those in America and across the world highlights an uncomfortable but extremely important truth – systemic racism prevails in all aspects of society.
The global shock stemming from the murder of Floyd shows that there is a level of ignorance in authority that wants to ‘brush it under the carpet’ or sees this as a one-off, an unfortunate incident. This treatment is in fact the reality for millions of people of colour every day, not only in America, but around the world. The veterinary industry is one of the most culturally non-diverse and we as an organisation are striving to change that. We must begin to educate ourselves and others about the history of racism, its impacts and how deep-rooted it is in our society. We must ensure that the industry and institutions we are part of have systems in place to support BAME students, otherwise fewer will want to follow that path. Action must be taken now but have a lasting effect – whilst black squares on Instagram are a promising sign of support and solidarity, the message behind them must not be lost or forgotten. There are many ways you can support the Black Lives Matter movement: sign petitions, read books, support black creatives, call out racism and micro-aggressions when you see them, write to MPs, councils and the government. Actions like this mean that systemic racism is challenged, and this will create a society that is more diverse, tolerant and fruitful.
Below is a list of ways you can actively make a change, by becoming an ally to the cause.
Sites and Google Docs with tonnes of resources:
Petitions:
Donate:
Write letters:
Books:
Supporting black creatives:
Written by: Jahnavi Lele