Black Lives Matter

500 Words: Black Lives Matter Competition June 2020

A response to the BLM theme by Katie H (Y7 at the time of writing).

I saw it, something shocking. I never thought that anyone would be that cruel. I saw some police officers kneeling on black person’s neck!!! This was extreme discrimination. I didn’t know what to do, I ran to my mum, who was as shocked as I was. She went up and told the police officer to stop, but they threatened her. I was scared, I didn’t know what was happening, I heard the man say, “I can’t breathe.” I yelled at the police officers to get off him, but they ignored me as I was only a child.

Now there was a crowd gathered round them. My mum was starting to panic; she didn’t want me to see this as she thought it would scare me. She was right. I hid behind her, but I could still see what was happening. We walked away and went to call the police and an ambulance; they said that they were on their way. Then my dad appeared, staring at the scene in disgust. “What on earth is happening?” he asked.

“These police officers are kneeling on this black man’s neck,” she replied “I don’t know why, but the man is struggling to breathe. I’ve called the police and an ambulance and they’re on their way.”

Then we heard the man call out, “Mama” before he became unconscious. Just then the ambulances and police arrived, they got the man in the ambulance and rushed him off to the hospital; and the police officers got arrested and taken away. Timidly, I asked my mum, “Is that man going to be OK?” She said she didn’t know but tried to reassure me that everything was gonna be ok.

After that we headed home and had our dinner. Then my dad came in, looking disheartened When we asked him what the matter was, he exclaimed, “You know the poor man that we saw earlier?” I nodded, I had been thinking about it for ages, I couldn’t get it out of my head. “Well, he died!” he said sympathetically. I was so astounded with that, that I started crying. My parents comforted me and told me that I hadn’t done anything wrong, in fact I had helped! They told me that it was happening because the man’s skin was black and I asked why that would make a difference, they said I shouldn’t but that some people think black people aren’t as good as white people and that that was called racism. I thought this was ghastly, that something like this should never happen.

When I went to bed that evening, I couldn’t get to sleep, the atrocious picture was still in my head, the man lying on the floor, struggling to breathe and the wicked police man kneeling on his neck! That is one thing that I will never forget. It will always be in the back of my mind. And now it might be in the back of yours too.

Say their Names by Robyn H  (Y7 at the time of writing)

I may not be black, but I hear you,

I may not be black, but I see you,

I may not be black, but I’ll mourn with you,

I may not be black, but I’ll fight with you.

 

For George Floyd who yelled “I can’t breathe”,

So, I ask you Derek Chauvin, what did you achieve?

A man, a father, lost his life to discrimination,

And now his name is known across the nation.

 

For Tamir Rice, a twelve-year-old boy,

Shot and killed for playing with a gun toy.

When did it cross your mind to attack?

Or tackle his sister’s arms behind her back?

 

For Breanna Taylor, sleeping in her bed,

When officers broke into her house,

And shot her eight times from her feet to her head.

No one was not charged when she was found dead.

 

The colour of your skin doesn’t define you.

It does not make you who you are.

Do not stand for the violence,

Because we will not be silenced.

 

I may not be black, but I hear you,

I may not be black, but I see you,

I may not be black, but I’ll mourn with you,

I may not be black, but I’ll fight with you.

 

Say their names.