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Aiysha Whitfield and Gaby Keam are two Black Lives Matter activists. They share similar goals, protest in similar ways, and have similar opinions. However, Aiysha lives in the USA, while Gaby is based in the UK. Learn more about their perceptions of the media, their opinions of the government, and their passion for the cause. Interview conducted by Elizabeth Bratton.
Aiysha Whitfield
Aiysha demonstrated alongside others in Chicago, USA. Pinpointing the moment she decided to protest, she recalls: "I remember my friend Joy and I were on the phone talking about George Floyd's death and how angry and heartbroken we were. We discussed how unfair the justice system is and how we wanted to do more but didn't know where to start. " She continues, "It was fortunate that Black Lives Matter Chicago were putting on their first protest since Floyd's death, and we knew we had to participate. When we got down there, you could feel the solidarity around us. It was incredibly diverse, and thousands of people showed up and peacefully protested. We listened to speeches, talked to others, educated ourselves, and marched. We were there for over 5 hours."
Speaking of the significance of the movement, Aiysha explains that it represents "the liberation of the Black community fighting against racism and injustice. [It] isn’t anything new; Black people have been speaking out against racial injustice for over 400 years. It just so happens that the BLM movement is so central to what’s happening right now, and is the voice of a new generation. BLM speaks out against systemic racism, injustice, economic inequality and police brutality. It gives us space to show solidarity with all minorities, like the LGBTQ community, that face injustice in our justice system. I love saying that phrase, ‘injustice in our justice system’, because it’s true. "
Protesting "shed a new light on the gaps in [Aiysha's] education." She recalls, "I remember when Treyvon Martin was murdered by George Zimmerman back in 2013, and I was outraged. I was 18/19 years old, and I remember how badly I wanted to take part in the protests, but my friends at the time weren’t interested, and I didn't have the confidence to speak up." However, as more Black men and women, such as Michael Brown, Eric Gardner, Sandra Bland, Breonna Taylor, were killed through police violence, Aiysha "said enough is enough".
"I finally found my voice and confidence to speak out. I developed a need to learn about the history of Black oppression, from slavery to George Floyd and the role it played in building the wealth of this country."
Aiysha proceeds to explain: "I learned that protesting is essential. Frederick Douglass said if there is no struggle there is no progress. You see this from the civil rights movements to the women's march. Protests inspire social change. The BLM protesting has already made progress; the conversation of defunding the police and investing in communities is on the table, and people are starting to open their eyes to their privilege and educate themselves. We have a long way to go."
This activist encourages people to recognise that Black Lives Matter is a movement that is "here to stay", rather than a temporary trend. She recognises that "the issues of racism are being discussed globally in a way that we haven’t seen before. Organisations and institutions are re-evaluating their policies and practice in light of the protests. Racist imagery is being taken down and there are serious conversations about investing in Black communities." Aiysha also hopes white people will continue to speak out against injustice, as "all of us need to embrace the fact that equity and justice for people of colour makes us stronger as a society, and benefits us all."
Demands to "defund the police" have increased over recent month: something Aiysha would like to see become a reality. Instead, she hopes the funds could be "allocated to services and communities that have been neglected for years." She adds, "I definitely would like to see greater accountability and demilitarization of the police. I also hope to see more progressive, forward-thinking people elected to public office from both sides of the aisle, especially more women and people of colour. There have been some amazing new and young leaders that have emerged from this movement."
According to Aiysha, the movement matters in America "because Black lives haven't mattered for 400 years". She elaborates, the Black Lives Matter movement isn’t suggesting that Black lives are more important than all other lives. Instead, the BLM movement states that Black lives are more undervalued in this country. Our communities have faced systemic discrimination, exclusion, poverty and violence. People need to understand this and help fight against it. All lives can't matter until Black lives matter."
"I do think this is a revolution, and it will bring substantial changes. I think it's here to stay. At least for me, I'm not going to be silent."
Discussing the authorities' response to the protests, Aiysha says: "There are examples of local governments that have taken the protests seriously and are responding to the issues. However, the federal government has taken the worrying decision to deploy armed militias against the protesters in many cities. This has escalated the violence and deflected from the real issues of racial injustice. It’s unfortunate that many in the current administration are trying to make this a racially divisive issue. Fortunately, I don’t think it’s working. The majority of the American people believe that more needs to be done to achieve racial justice. I also think a handful of new wave politicians like Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Jamaal Bowman, Charles Booker, Ilhan Omar, are trying to make the people's voices heard and want to make a difference."
Aiysha states: "I have had racial microaggressions towards me. Like many Black people, I'm always followed in a store or have been followed by Chicago cops. I've had to ask my white friends "do your parents know I'm black?", before going to their houses, and sometimes it wasn't always the warmest welcome. I've always been, and still am, "the token Black girl" at work or within friendships, and have to frequently deal with subconscious racial comments from people.
She reflects: The sad thing is, until this year, I barely stuck up for myself, and when I did, I was called "the crazy liberal," or at work, they would gaslight me. My confidence has grown, and my tolerance has diminished. During the BLM movement, I've cut people out of my life that were unsupportive, or who have turned my pain and Black people's pain around to affirm themselves and their white privilege. I expressed my opinion about racism to a friend who I thought would understand. They ended up saying I owed them an apology. By opening up and confiding my thoughts about their lack of support, it was somehow unfair to them and egotistical of me. If your community can't stand by you in a time of need, you time is up. We don't owe you anything."
Gaby Keam
Gaby is based in Hertfordshire, UK. She knew the movement was "going to be a huge part of history, and [she] wanted to be a part of it for the right reasons."
As someone who is "not discriminated against", the movement is "mainly about education and learning from misinformation" for Gaby. She hopes to see societal reform, so that she can "educate [her] children and others the right way."
One of the protests that Gaby attended took place on the 7th of June, outside the US embassy in London. She and her friends took placards, marched, and chanted for five hours. According to Gaby, "The protests had a majority of good feedback from the public." However, "My parents in particular were very worried about letting me go because I had to travel to London, and, if anything got out of control, they wouldn’t be able to help me." She believes "the older generations may have seen the protests in a slightly different light as they get the majority of their information from the news, but online, the encouragement was overwhelming.
As a young person, Gaby thinks it is "important to right the wrongs in this world, to make sure the people I love and care for can live the rest of their lives [without] fearing for their lives." She hopes that the "diverse, accepting, and determined" nature of young activists may help to introduce significant change. She recalls, "as soon as I heard about the petitions and funds, I didn't hesitate to sign and donate. Along with this, I did a lot of research into the history of Black culture, and its appropriation in a predominantly white society." Gaby hopes that people realise the movement is not a "fad".
Gaby recognises that Hertfordshire is "not a very well known area", however the movement is "still large". Although many people took part in these demonstrations, these events "only seemed to last a week".
She proceeds to explain: "Travelling to London for the protests made me realise and hope that this is not going to die down anytime soon like it did in my county. Racism here is just as malicious as [in] the US, but is a whole lot harder to spot and call out. It’s so ingrained in our modern life that it’s hard to know exactly when it happens." In summary: "The UK is not innocent, and is ready for change."
Gaby thinks the UK government has had a "confusing reaction to the protests", as "PM Boris Johnson publicly said that he encourages these protests; that it’s healthy to fight for what’s right. On the other hand, he has not talked at all about how he’s planning on changing the problems we’re protesting about. It’s all very good that he’s supporting what is happening, but we want to see him use his power to make the changes happen. He has the resources and power to do it so it seems rather hypocritical of him to say that."
Gaby does not think the reporters have fairly presented the protesters. "By the time I got home on the Sunday and turned the news on, [they were] reporting how the protest had been out of control, showing scenes of rioting and people throwing things at police. Not once did they show clips of the peaceful protests that I had partaken in for 5 hours that day. The clips are available if you search for them but it’s never what the media immediately show you. It infuriates me that the rise of COVID-19 cases will be blamed on the protests - I know it will. When cases rise again, the media will only show clips from protests and not how UK beaches are being packed. I understand that these protests will contribute to its rise, but should not in any way be given all the blame by the media. The far right have been confused for protesters in the news."
Some of Gaby's friends "have felt the need to bleach their own skin", in order to feel "beautiful." Reportedly, "when one of them publicly spoke up about it, they were met with positivity but also horrible comments degrading her worth, telling her she needs to keep doing it. Seeing firsthand how this has affected someone I truly love makes me feel sick. I know people that have had family members stabbed." Another of Gaby's friends was "too scared" to protest, because she was afraid that she may be targeted by police for her skin colour.
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