Words by Chantal Herbert, for the Newcastle Online BLM protest, 2020.
When you tell me “All Lives Matter”
I’ll tell you that black women are 5 times more like to die in childbirth
When you tell me “All Lives Matter”
I’ll tell you that black people are four times more likely to die of Covid-19
When you tell me “All Lives Matter”
I’ll tell you that black people are 40 times more likely to be stopped and searched
When you tell me “All Lives Matter”
I’ll tell you that fewer than 1% of UK University professors are black
When you tell me “All Lives Matter
I’ll tell you that the legal system has failed black women and girls
When you tell me “All Lives Matter”
I’ll tell you that BME women and migrant women experience higher rates of domestic homicide
When you tell me “All Lives Matter”
I’ll tell you that 40% of BME and migrant women are living in poverty
When you tell me “All Lives Matter”
I’ll tell you that in the past 12 years, 22 BME refuges across the country have had their funding cut or have been taken over by larger organisations
When you tell me “All Lives Matter” I’ll say to you, Grenfell Tower
When you tell me “All Lives Matter”
I’ll tell you that BME women face the most discrimination in employment
When you tell me “All Lives Matter”
I’ll tell you that in the UK, by population percentage, black people are more than twice as likely to die in police custody
