Voices of the Island Community

I reached out to islanders who attended the first Black Lives Matter protest on June 4th 2020 and asked them their views on the protest and why they believe it is important for the island community to come together in support of the BLM movement. This is what they had to say;

"I believe it's important for the island community to come together and protest for the BLM movement because it is so important for things to change, for so long the island has just had so many racist views and I really think everyone coming together to show that there is massive hope for change is just so important and is just the start of things improving"

- Dayna, 19

"It was so amazing to see so many people come together in solidarity for the black lives matters movement and to stand up for anti-racism. This is a moment long overdue, not just on the island, but globally so please continue to show your support, donate if you can, sign petitions and educate yourselves"

- anonymous

"The protest was amazing it was so beautiful seeing so many different people, age groups and races come together to fight this! All the people that spoke had so many powerful words to say it was amazing! The whole day was filled with love and joy and it was so beautiful to see so many people come together to preach about one very important topic, I just hope that our words, our hearts and our souls are enough to make a change! Because black lives matter more then anything now in this generation where we are all coming together as one to accept one another and help make the world a better place! With our white privilege WE NEED TO SPEAK AND MAKE A CHANGE! Please don’t stay silent, make a change because it’s needed, this has gone on far to long and we need to change this asap!"

- Megan, 18

"The first protest was powerful and emotional. I, like many others, was and still am, completely naive to the fear and, (what should be unnecessary) knowledge of police brutality black people have to endure, grow up with and get taught from such a young age!  For the nine minutes we knelt, the mood was tangible and I experienced a series of emotions rush through me. Sadness, anger, disgust, guilt and fear, but also immense pride. Proud of the fact we were all there uniting for such an important movement. It was overwhelmingly touching.  I believe that times have changed and are always changing. With the ever-evolving technology, we, as white people have now experienced far more awareness and honest, detailed coverage of diversity. And are now able to delve into the raw magnitude of institutionalised racism, not just the fabricated media coverage. Today, due to every American state, and with eighteen other countries participation with protesting, we saw the largest civil rights movement in world history. And if that’s not worthy enough for a continued push on the movement, then I don’t know what is.  We can never stop learning, so please continue to educate yourself and others, sign all relevant petitions and donate where possible.  We also must not retaliate to those who do not understand the movement or to those who comment ignorantly on the matter. Initially we must eloquently educate narrow minds, without belittling. We must carefully call out racism amongst; family members, friends and colleagues. We must experience and digest those uncomfortable conversations. Standing up for what you believe in is one thing, but standing up for an entire race is powerful, and the very least we can do, as those with white privilege." 

- Charlie, 24

"Protesting anywhere is important as the entire BLM movement is and will continue to be swept under the rug by authorities and individuals in power as our society is built on systemic racism, this is why it’s so important to have our voices heard however we can. I think protesting on the island is particularly important as POC are the ethnic minority here, and it’s not news to anyone that the island’s residents are largely racist. As a young white person, or just someone who cares, i think it’s important to not only raise awareness here about how prevalent racism is but also that this generation will not stand for it, we want a better, fairer world for our friends and future generations."

- Cara, 19

"I believe that the Isle of Wight is in desperate need for a Black Lives Matter presence. Being a predominantly white population allows residents of all generations to believe that due to the small population of POC here, that racism isn't our issue. When clearly, from a range of berating comments after the protest, it is. Islands can no longer turn a blind eye to racism simply due to our isolation from the mainland UK. Racism is a deep-rooted issue which although will not change instantly, needs to change, or the island will continue to fall behind. I hope that people can identify with what IOWBLM is doing, regardless of race, gender, disability or sexuality because it is everyones duty to fight racism"

- Harriet, 19

image by Charlie Jones @takemypic_char

"Coming to the protest was so important to help people understand the severity of the situation, and how we can't keep letting this carry on like normal, because black lives matter."

- anonymous