Tag: black lives matter

Black Lives Matter mural trail

In response to the recent international outpouring of support for Black Lives Matter following the killing of George Floyd in USA, Scotland’s BAME artists are stepping up, supported by leading arts organisations.

A Scotland wide Black Lives Matter Mural Trail is now popping up, with displays on a dozen arts venues and sites across Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness, with many more to follow.

Art is powerful and at a time when all Scotland’s venues are closed for the foreseeable future, they can still have a voice by offering their walls and doors to be used for this dramatic, vital statement of support for Black Lives Matter.

The artworks – colourful, challenging, moving, powerful and diverse – inspired by the themes of I Can’t Breathe and Black Lives Matter, will be created by artists from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, all living in Scotland.

Several will be supported by additional exhibitions with local relevance. They will be in a variety of media including paint, photography, video and digital art, in a wide range of styles, including fine art, street art, text, illustrative and abstract.

The artists come from a wide range of backgrounds (including Cape Verde, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan/Harris, USA), some trained, some self taught, combining youth and experience, individuals and artist collectives – all uniquely talented.

All will be large scale and hard to miss!

The trail is the brainchild of Edinburgh based creative producer Wezi Mhura (Iron Oxide, Struileag (Commonwealth Games 2014), AfriFest, Edinburgh International Festival) a specialist in large scale events, who pulled the idea together in just over a week, with the support of venues and arts organisations including Edinburgh International Festival, Dance Base, Queen’s Hall Edinburgh, Eden Court Theatre, Glasgow’s King’s Theatre and Theatre Royal, and many more.

One of the first to go up is at The Hub on Castlehill, which features art based on an original photograph by British born Nigerian photographer Jamal Yussuff-Adelakun, which he created with his daughter Lola (above). There will also be a series of other photos from the same session.

Scotland’s society and attitudes are shaped by its history rooted in slavery, colonialism and imperialism. There are reminders of it in every major city, in statues and buildings which were built by profits from the slave trade.

There is a wide debate opening up about how that should be represented. This Scottish Mural Trail shows a way that art can be at the forefront and stimulating the conversation, while also adding an exciting new dynamic to currently boarded up venues.

Wezi Mhura said: “The Scottish government says it recognizes the strength in its aspirations to a more equal and more diverse society going forward, and we hope this Mural Trail will help to start the conversations that need to be happening now.

“It’s been amazing to connect in with so many talented artists (with roots in so many different places) who have been so enthusiastic about getting behind this project”.

Jamal Yussuff-Adelakun said: “My daughter and I have bonded and created before when it comes to photography, but never before have we both used the medium of photography to talk about race injustice or racism.

“For me this was a new found way to have that conversation with her.”

Capital sites to follow include Queen’s Hall, DanceBase, Royal Lyceum Theatre, Festival Theatre and Meadowbank stadium.

 

Prime Minister speaks out on Black Lives Matter

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s message on Black Lives Matter:

The death of George Floyd took place thousands of miles away – in another country, under another jurisdiction – and yet we simply cannot ignore the depth of emotion that has been triggered by that spectacle, of a black man losing his life at the hands of the police.

In this country and around the world his dying words – I can’t breathe – have awakened an anger and a widespread and incontrovertible, undeniable feeling of injustice, a feeling that people from black and minority ethnic groups do face discrimination: in education, in employment, in the application of the criminal law.

And we who lead and who govern simply can’t ignore those feelings because in too many cases, I am afraid, they will be founded on a cold reality.

Yes, I am proud to lead the most ethnically diverse government in the history of this country, with two of the four great offices of state held by a man and a woman of Indian origin; and yes, I am proud of the work I began to lead more than ten years ago to recruit and promote more young black people, in the police and other walks of life.

This country has made huge strides. I remember the 1970s, and the horror of the National Front. I truly believe that we are a much, much less racist society than we were, in many ways far happier and better.

But we must also frankly acknowledge that there is so much more to do – in eradicating prejudice, and creating opportunity, and the government I lead is committed to that effort.

And so I say yes, you are right, we are all right, to say Black Lives Matter; and to all those who have chosen to protest peacefully and who have insisted on social distancing – I say, yes of course I hear you, and I understand.

But I must also say that we are in a time of national trial, when for months this whole country has come together to fight a deadly plague.

After such sacrifice, we cannot now let it get out of control.

It is BAME communities who have been at the forefront of the struggle against coronavirus – whether in health care or transport or social care or any of the other essential services that have kept our country going.

And it is BAME communities, tragically, that have paid a disproportionate price.

So no, I will not support those who flout the rules on social distancing, for the obvious reason that we risk a new infection at a critical time and just as we have made huge progress.

And no, I will not support or indulge those who break the law, or attack the police, or desecrate public monuments.

We have a democracy in this country. If you want to change the urban landscape, you can stand for election, or vote for someone who will.

And so I must say clearly that those who attack public property or the police –who injure the police officers who are trying to keep us all safe – those people will face the full force of the law; not just because of the hurt and damage they are causing, but because of the damage they are doing to the cause they claim to represent.

They are hijacking a peaceful protest and undermining it in the eyes of many who might otherwise be sympathetic.

And as a society, we can and must do better.

This month, on the 22nd of June, we celebrate the arrival of the Empire Windrush in 1948, and we remember the contribution of the Afro-Caribbean workers – in the NHS and across all public services – who helped to rebuild this country after the war.

And today, once again, we face a great task: to relaunch this country after Coronavirus. So let’s work peacefully, lawfully, to defeat racism and discrimination wherever we find it, and let us continue to work together across all the communities of this country, as we put Britain back on its feet.

Protest … but do so safely

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf has urged people planning to protest against racial injustice to do so in a way that safeguards them and the wider public from the on-going threat from coronavirus (COVID-19).

Mr Yousaf said: “In the wake of the tragic death of George Floyd, it is again clear that the scourge of racism continues to blight every nation on earth, and all of us must play our part in tackling it.

“I fully understand and feel the anger, and the sadness, that leads people to want to gather together and to show solidarity and community at this time.

“Unfortunately, the threat of COVID-19 is still with us and I must urge people not to attend mass gatherings, which pose a clear risk to public health, even with social distancing in place.

“The Scottish Government advice is still that no more than eight people should meet at any one time, and for those people to be from no more than two households.

“I would encourage people to explore alternative ways to make their voices heard on this vital issue, including for example through social media and by engaging friends, families and work colleagues.

“In Scotland, we value the considerable and important role of our diverse minority ethnic communities. We cannot, and will not, tolerate hate crime, prejudice or discrimination of any kind. It is not enough to simply not be a racist – we must be anti-racist, by supporting our minority ethnic communities, and condemning racism, hate and injustice wherever we find it.

“I hope we will soon be able to gather together to show our solidarity. But until then we must continue to do what is necessary to protect the health of everyone, following the guidelines. That is the best and quickest way to ensure we continue along the path of easing lockdown, and meet again sooner rather than later.”

If someone is a victim of a racist hate incident, or a witness to one, they can contact Police Scotland or one of the third party reporting centres that continue to provide a service by telephone or online.