“You shouldn’t be here!” Local academics share their experience of racism #blm The recent anti-racist protests and rioting sparked by the killing of George Floyd at the hands of white policemen have shaken our world. No, the threat of Covid-19 has not gone away – to make way for this latest crisis. Life is not like that. Angry protesters have gone ahead with their plans, seemingly not bothered about social distancing. And Mr. Floyd’s funeral was attended by some 500 people, despite the guidelines prohibiting or discouraging large gatherings due to the pandemic. Leaders and health officials suggested the protests be postponed until the virus was no longer an issue. But you can’t tell a volcano when to erupt.
incidents where they were the victims of racism. I find it hard to understand how anyone can deny it is ingrained in our culture.
friends who are people of colour. And every one of those I asked about it could describe
“But my greatest shock was the reaction of a lady who had walked into a shop ahead of me. Her young daughter, who was about six years old, ran ahead of the mother to hold the door for her. She was still holding the door when some white people went through. But as I approached, the mother came back and pulled her daughter away with such force that she released the door and it closed in my face.”
I asked Dr. Reginald Agu, who lives in Wester Hailes and is a Nigerian who came to Edinburgh in 1994 to complete his PhD programme, to tell me about his experiences of being treated differently due to his skin colour.
“My first experience of racism in The fact that the outcry has been “My Dad says Edinburgh was in 1996 when my international, not just limited to family joined me from Nigeria. house prices the States, points to the fact that As I was making my way to around here will racism is a worldwide problem. nearby shopping centre, a go down because ayoung And yet there are many who man confronted me and refuse to accept this. Some prefer you’ve moved in.” said, ‘You shouldn’t be here’. to gloss over what happened in When I approached him for an Minneapolis with comments such explanation, he moved away.” as, “Of course, there are a few bad cops”. Many Reginald says his children, who were between take offence at the slogan “Black lives matter”, the ages of one and eight when they arrived in believing it fights against the idea that “All lives Edinburgh, were discriminated against while matter”. And the term “white privilege” is greatly at the playground. “Some of the other children disputed, especially by whites who have had made racist comments,” he remembers, “and hard lives. they were very nasty. Throughout my life I have had a number of
Reginald and Geoff 8 | THE DELL
As he pursued his PhD at Heriot Watt University, Reginald worked with Professor Geoff Palmer, Scotland’s first black professor.
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