George Floyd's memory will live on - just like these powerful and poignant quotes about race and racism from activists, supporters and celebrities
As the world continues to feel revolusion over the agonising death of George Floyd, who was killed in broad daylight by a white police officer in Minneapolis on May 25, people across the globe are speaking out against racism and have pledged to help the black community fight for equality once and for all. We've compiled a selection of some of the most poignant quotes about race and racism from activists, supporters and celebrities, to empower, inspire and remind us all never to underestimate our power as individuals to do better.
1.‘Yes, racism looks like hate, but hate is just one manifestation. Privilege is another. Access is another. Ignorance is another. Apathy is another. And so on. So while I agree with people who say no one is born racist, it remains a powerful system that we’re immediately born into’ - Scott Woods, author
2. 'A riot is the language of the unheard' - Martin Luther King, activist
3.‘Racism in America is like dust in the air. It seems invisible – until you let the sun in. Then you see it’s everywhere. As long as we keep shining that light, we have a chance of cleaning it’ - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, American basketball player
4. ‘Race and racism is a reality that so many of us grow up learning to just deal with. But if we ever hope to move past it, it can’t just be on people of colour to deal with it’ - Michelle Obama, former First Lady of The United States of America
5. 'What you do in times of crisis reflects your truth’ - Candace Howze, writer and podcaster
6. 'No more seeing people of colour as less than human. We can no longer look away' – Beyoncé, singer
7. 'No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love' - Nelson Mandela, Former President of South Africa
8. 'I was raised to believe that excellence is the best deterrent to racism or sexism. And that's how I operate my life' - Oprah Winfrey, Talk Show Host
9. 'Treat racism like Covid-19 – assume you have it. You may be asymptomatic. Racism is the disease. You may be the carrier but the aim is not to destroy the host but eradicate the kill the disease' - Vanessa Kingori, British Vogue Publishing Director
10. 'If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality' - Desmond Tutu, Human Rights Activist
-
I never know what to buy my family for Christmas - but these luxurious Hotel Chocolat gifts are guaranteed crowd-pleasersIf you’re looking for gifts crafted with imagination for chocolate lovers, take note
-
Why Chappell Roan will 'say something controversial' if she wins a Grammy -
All the winners from the British Fashion Awards and why they matterFrom the history-making model Alex Consani, to the reigning champion designer Jonathan Anderson, we run through all the winners
-
Racial micro aggressions some people don’t even realise are offensiveSharing her experience of this endemic symptom of racism, Dr Adanna Steinacker explains how we can all spot them and, more importantly, stop them forever
-
"I'm a Black barrister working in a broken justice system"Alexandra Wilson is a 26-year-old barrister speaking out about sexism, racism and class inequality at the very heart of the legal system. She shares her disturbing experiences, and why activism will make a difference.
-
Models of colour: The reality of being Black backstageThe modelling industry has a diversity issue, and it doesn’t just extend to the proportion of models with dark skin on runways and in photoshoots.
-
"In the wake of BLM, corporations must be held accountable for their ethnicity gap"One year on from the murder of George Floyd, corporations both sides of the pond face questions as to whether they have fulfilled their promises to change their organisational structure, writes Jenny McCall
-
"My brown skin left me judging myself through the prism of other people's prejudices"Eva Verde always felt like an outsider in her white family. Now the author reveals how she reconnected with her lost roots for the sake of her young daughters
-
BLM 2021-Where Are We Now: "Change is infinitesimal," says Candice BrathwaiteLooking outside her own echo chamber, Candice Brathwaite explains why she's not shocked at all that no meaningful change has happened despite a year of global protests and ferocious activism
-
"What does being Mixed-Race mean?" writes podcasters Nicole and EmmaNicole Ocran and Emma Slade Edmondson explain why they were compelled to create a safe space where people discuss race and identity through the lens of Mixed-Race experiences
-
"Why we need to close the empathy gap," argues Beverly Daniel TatumThe problems of systemic racism can't be resolved, says Beverly Daniel Tatum, acclaimed clinical psychologist and race relations expert, until white people experience genuine empathy so we can build a more inclusive community
