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To those who say the UK isn't as bad as the US, a short thread on a personal experience of #racism in the justice system.
Waiting at a Crown Court (out of London) for my trial to be called on - the trial ahead is delayed. 3 black males walk out of court and sit opposite me.
Waiting at a Crown Court (out of London) for my trial to be called on - the trial ahead is delayed. 3 black males walk out of court and sit opposite me.
The males had been in the public gallery (ie watching proceedings, not defendants) are impeccably behaved and appropriately dressed for a court building. 2 appear to be together, 1 is set apart from the others and says good morning to me which is why i notice them.
Enquire from usher why the trial ahead is delayed. "A juror has complained that she feels intimidated by the defendant's gang". Assume the case is gang related - no, no, it's a drugs case and the "gang" is the 3 lads now sat outside court
"So the juror saw 3 black males supporting the defendant and assumed they are a gang?" I enquire.
"Oh no they were being ever so intimidating"
Perhaps i have missed something happening in court so enquire from the usher as to what had been intimidating.
"Oh no they were being ever so intimidating"
Perhaps i have missed something happening in court so enquire from the usher as to what had been intimidating.
"Well 2 of them were sat over there and one on the other side".....that's it. The fact they were watching court proceedings and not sat together is what a juror (and the usher!) thought was intimidating gang behaviour. I pointed out they may not know each other - the response was
"well they all look like they know each other so why aren't they sat together?" I gently enquired whether 3 white women not sitting together would have been "intimidating", she seemed genuinely stumped as to the comparison being made.
I'm sure that juror and the usher would say they weren't racist. But this is why the micro aggressions, attitudes and perceptions made by the white community to the black community matter as much as atrocities like #GeorgeFloydMurder
The police officer driving past a black male and deciding to pull him over, the misperceptions of a juror deciding someone's fate, crossing the road to avoid a black male walking towards you are all racist attitudes you may not even be aware you hold
Don't just be "not racist" be #antiracist Call out the small acts of racism as much as the big acts #silenceiscomplicity
