Late January is the time for Holocaust Memorial Day when we remember the attempted, and almost successful, genocide of the Jewish people. This is something that needs to be commemorated everywhere, but some European countries are better than others at doing so. Because of their history the Germans have a particular interest in keeping memories […]
On 5 January 2022, at the Bristol Crown Court, the Colston Four were found innocent of any criminal damage. They were on trial for toppling the statue (as reported in July 2020 by West England Bylines) of Edward Colston, a slave-selling merchant who gave a significant amount of money to the City in his will. […]
I see Yorkshire County Cricket Club and the England and Wales Cricket Board are making headlines for a culture of racism that continues unabashed. We have multiple Asian and Black cricketers dehumanised and degraded, racist slurs casually used and racist action over a number of years. I actively resist the temptation to veer into flippant comment, as […]
A Black Lives Matter vigil was held to mark the death of George Floyd and to protest against institutional racism in our own country. Thousands of people attended, but this isn’t why the city was in the news. A statue of Edward Colston, an eighteenth century MP and slave trader, which had stood watch over […]
The cricketer Ollie Robinson has recently been suspended when it came to light that, as an 18 and 19 year old, he tweeted comments which were both racist and sexist. On the verge of a promising test career, how should he now be treated and punished for past mistakes? He has offered a full apology […]
It’s just the colour of my skin.It’s not a coatI bought to wear. I also feel the sun,Smell the earthAnd hear the birds sing. I work and play,Dance and eatAnd hold my child’s hand. I kiss, I love,I smile, I cryAnd if I’m pricked, I bleed. It’s just the colour of my skin.It’s not a […]
Following continued online racist abuse from “humanity and social media at its worst,” footballer Marcus Rashford said on Twitter: “I have beautiful children of all colours following me and they don’t need to read it [screenshots of abuse]. Beautiful colours that should only be celebrated.” Dare we hope, that eventually these diverse, beautiful colours will […]