Over the last month we have all observed staged protests against racism in response to the murder of George Floyd. Counter-protesters have shouted ‘All lives matter’, protected statues, defaced memorials they were themselves meant to be protecting.

A secondary argument is now taking place stating ‘it happened in America, we live in England.’ These arguments really hold no substance, all lives do matter. However, it is paradoxical to make this statement if you are unable to address the systematic racism towards black people.

The murder did occur in the USA, we cannot forget the country is the child of England, colonised in the 15th century and gaining independence in the 18th. Closer to our homes I was disappointed in viewing the banner that flew over the Etihad statement ‘White Lives Matter Burnley.’

The stupidity was cheered and praised on social media, as if this was a monumental moment for white civil liberties.

We should all make this clear, white lives have always mattered if they had not mattered Hindustan would not have been colonised, exploited to make 12% of all capital exports for Britain.

White lives mattered to such an extent that when a British person goes to settle abroad they are called expats and not immigrants. The demographics of this country is dominated by ‘White British’ no matter how many ‘alarming articles’ you read this is FACT. As a result the system was created to benefit white people, minority groups are speaking to be treated equally. NOT to be imposed with higher rates of stop and search, to be threatened by PREVENT when their child goes to school, being stopped on a SCHEDULE 7 with no justification or deal with micro racial aggressions on a daily basis.

Yet here we are in 2020 still writing articles and having to explain why we want this. Further deconstructing the counter-argument ‘If you don’t like it here why don’t you go back where you came from.’

The statement generally is posed as a command not a question. To the children of the diaspora no country is home besides the U.K. the only problem is this country feels like a house and not a home.

A home is where you feel safe, secure, and comfortable and feel the freedom to walk and talk. Instead the majority of us are skilfully designed to act as social chameleons in the presence of white people. ‘That’s a long name can I not just call you Mo’, changing your accent to be accepted, pronouncing your name in a manner which can be repeated by white vernacular and the golden one ‘I can’t come to the Christmas party because I have to look after the kids.’

Every single day we have to negotiate our values and reserve our opinions so we don’t offend anyone. Then we patiently listen as people ‘Whitesplain’ as though you have some esoteric knowledge into the problems of the communities we live in.

This is why we want the country we live, breathe and pay tax in to be our home it feels like a house.

If you sincerely believe in making this country our home understand that ‘a house is not a home without it being renovated and restructured.’

We can no longer expect others to be the spokesperson for what we have to experience.

To be silent is to be complicit, never will a brave face and a rosy smile gift you with the change you want. Speak up when you feel undervalued, discriminated and racially targeted.