Black Lives Matter

Many of you may have heard about the Anti-Racism protests that have been happening across the world over the past 2 weeks.  You may be unsure of why they are happening and what they mean , so here is some information  to help you understand.

Why are there protests?
The protests are a response to the recent death of  George Floyd in America. George Floyd was a Black man who died after being held by police  on 25th May. What happened to him has again raised the issue of racism in American society and the discrimination that many African-American communities feel they face in the US, particularly when it comes to the police.

What does Black  Lives  Matter mean?
Black Lives Matter  is the name for the anti-racism movement that  raises awareness to the discrimination that Black people  face everyday across the world.  This may be to fight for the unfair treatment from police or  to gain equal rights in  jobs and education. Saying Black Lives Matter does not mean  other lives do  not.

What is discrimination?
Discrimination is unfair treatment of one particular person or group of people. Usually the different treatment is because of the person’s:

• sex (male or female)
•  religion
•  nationality (what country they come from)
• ethnicity (culture)
• race (colour of skin)
• Other personal traits. 

Discrimination based on race is called racism.   Discrimination prevents people from doing things that other people can do freely. It can happen in many ways and in many areas of life. It can happen at work, in public, and at school. For example, if a student is not allowed to go to a school because of his or her race, the school is discriminating against that student.

This terrible event is an important reminder that discrimination is never  acceptable and we should always remember to be kind to everyone, regardless of our differences. 

To find out more  information go  to Newsround