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Thread. #BlackLivesMatter 
https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> ! I spent the first 3 years of my life in Lagos, Nigeria because of my father’s job. Here’s me aged 1 and a half. There are some beautiful memories from Nigeria, and wonderful photos of me hanging out with my friends too - most of them black.
! I spent the first 3 years of my life in Lagos, Nigeria because of my father’s job. Here’s me aged 1 and a half. There are some beautiful memories from Nigeria, and wonderful photos of me hanging out with my friends too - most of them black." title="Thread. #BlackLivesMatter https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt=""> ! I spent the first 3 years of my life in Lagos, Nigeria because of my father’s job. Here’s me aged 1 and a half. There are some beautiful memories from Nigeria, and wonderful photos of me hanging out with my friends too - most of them black." class="img-responsive" style="max-width:100%;"/>
Here’s a photo of Mercy. A wonderful amazing lady who took care me occasionally with Blessing, when my parents had to leave the house. I loved them so so much. I grew up never seeing colour, not knowing colour. Just being, and growing up.
When we moved to London at age around 3-4, my two best mates in school were Caroline and Fabian, both black kids. We used to hold hands and play all day everyday. Again, I never saw colour. We never saw it, we were just friends.
As I started getting older, I realised that something was awfully wrong. I learnt about the concepts of poverty, racism, unfairness, inequality, justice, freedom - and an anger I never knew that existed within me started to boil. Fast forward to age 10.
I’m living in Poland and during break time I see my black friend from the grade above, Alex, being pushed about by some tall 2m basketball player and being made fun of. I’m tiny, but I’m furious. I will never forget this historical moment for me. I went up to the tall kid.
Pointed at him and shouted, over and over again, so the whole playground could hear “you racist!”, “you racist!” And I attempted to push him. He sort of smiled awkwardly and looked around. But I knew that I had done the right thing. I turned around and went to Alex.
He was shaking. He told me that people pushed shopping carts into his back for being black. He told me stories that I would never experience because of the colour of my skin. We hugged, and I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. I just could not understand.
How? How was it possible that people could judge eachother, abuse each other because of the colour of their skin? As I started reading more history, I realized that oppression of “the other” was all over the place.
People had been oppressing people of colour, women, lgbtq+, the lower working classes of society for centuries. There was a concept of slavery! It was too much. I then read about Rosa Parks. I read about those people who were so brave that they could stand up to oppression.
I knew I had to be one of those people - because without the truth, without love, without peace, without freedom... some people would just keep doing this. Brainwashing their children into racism, sexism, etc. etc.
I had to write this thread because, I am in utter shock and devestation that in this day and age, racism still exists. Not only does it exist, people are being killed because of it, are being murdered because of it.
And while I’m not from the US-we are in a global village-when I witness tens of white men walking around with AK47’s going into state buildings and not even getting arrested (these men are terrorists!), and then see an innocent black man being murdered in cold blood...
I, alongside most of the world of compassionate people, become furious. How many times will it take for this to stop? For hate crimes to stop? If a voice is unheard it becomes a riot. There is only so much one can take. As a pacifist, of course “peaceful means” are beautiful.
But if you have spent your whole life with a knee on your neck - There is a moment where it will get to you and you will attempt to destroy that system which has abused you just for being born. Of course I do not justify burning down local shops etc. etc.
But how can one not see that this system of “systematic violence” has caused people to feel so much fear, so much sadness, and so much anger... then it becomes impossible for one to contain anymore.
I’m seeing a lot of solidarity in this movement from people across the US and all across the world. I just wanted to share my own message of solidarity too. History is watching and we must never remain silent in the face of injustice. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="✊🏿" title="Raised fist (dark skin tone)" aria-label="Emoji: Raised fist (dark skin tone)">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="✊🏾" title="Raised fist (medium dark skin tone)" aria-label="Emoji: Raised fist (medium dark skin tone)">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="✊🏽" title="Raised fist (medium skin tone)" aria-label="Emoji: Raised fist (medium skin tone)">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="✊🏼" title="Raised fist (medium light skin tone)" aria-label="Emoji: Raised fist (medium light skin tone)">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="✊🏻" title="Raised fist (light skin tone)" aria-label="Emoji: Raised fist (light skin tone)"> Love to all! #BlackLivesMatters
