Desperate in the City

Hey Family,

Thought I would update you on yesterdays post regarding the London riots which have now spread to Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds and Wolverhampton. 

London’s civil unrest has continued spread throughout the city to previously quiet neighbourhoods such as Woolwich, Enfield and Clapham.  Unfortunately, the youth who was shot in last night’s mayhem in Croyden has since died.  My heart bleeds yet another brother has died a violently and needlessly.

During all of the chaos racist propaganda has ruled the internet and the radio, with more covert messages relayed on the television. These events have brought to the surface many issues that have been bubbling just beneath the facade that is the image of London  the Olympic city that most people who reside in the inner cities do not recognise.  Institutionalised Racism, and the stereotypes that keep alive such prejudices towards non whites in wider British society creates a tension that keep this group under daily pressure from the police, employers and the average fool in the street that think they know!

These marginalised youth really have felt the bite of the economic downturn.  With the complete dismantling of youth services alongside the increase in student university fee’s the feelings of helplessness are deep and overwhelming.  Truthfully these feelings of discontent are not youthful folly or unfounded these individuals have been shafted by the system.  As we all have; but none more so than them.  Their parents are unable to enforce discipline as they work every hour to keep body and soul together.  Did somebody say slavery is over?  As the EMA has been abolished some can’t continue to further education.  And if by some miracle they surpass the police brutality, profiling, criminalisation they still have to come up with £9000 per academic year.  I believe that unless we deal with this within our community and stop waiting for racists to come up with a plan that is actually going to benefit us this will continue; and get worse.  We need to snatch back the youth and feed them spiritually and emotionally so they don’t have to burn down the city to be heard.

“Change, whatever any of y’all need to do to git up out da hood I ain’t mad at cha” Tupac Shakur