BLMW by Eltayeb Bashar

BLMW is Worcestershire’s official Black lives matter chapter. It is a group of young people who work towards the goal of achieving greater representation for black people in Worcestershire.

Our first protest took place on June the 13th 2020 at the Worcester racecourse and was a response to the murder of George Floyd. It was led and organised by current and past WSFC students; Kat, Gee, Poppy, Lily, Milly, Colette, Ronnie, Tanya and myself. It was led by my sister Khadija and I.

It was a socially distanced protest and we worked closely with the police to ensure that the protest was safe. We had an approximate turn out of 1000 people. The protest comprised of speaking, chanting and kneeling. Many media outlets were present some include the BBC, three radio and Worcester news. It was a significant moment of unity in Worcester and a significant moment for the Worcester youth.

The first protest was a catalyst for greater change and led to Worcester institutions like the Worcester cathedral and the Worcester council reaching out and expressing their desire to get involved. We worked closely with those institutions to bring Worcester its first ever Black history month. I wrote a speech for the mayor of Worcester which she read outside the mayors mansion to commemorate the introduction of this month and tradition.

We are collaborating with other BLM chapters in the UK and some as far as California. We discuss the significance of BLM in today’s world and what we can do to amplify the voices of black people everywhere.

BLMW will continue to work towards the goal of bringing about greater representation for the black community in Worcestershire.