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| Philly Mag |
Since the 25th of May and the death of
George Floyd in Minneapolis, the African American who succumbed whilst in police
custody, yet another round of race inequality related violence and protests has
erupted across the US.
One by one, most major American cities saw marches,
riots and even looting and destruction of private and public property. The
death of one man, revisited an ongoing issue in the US society, that of deep-rooted
racial inequality and discrimination.
Soon enough the movement saw support in European cities
and the world. Similar marches in support of George Floyd, against US police
brutality and for racial equality and justice, were held across our continent.
One would think why Europeans would be mobilized, to protest
police abuse of power in another country. However, we must never forget how
Europe aspires to become a society similar to that of USA, plus in addition
that our continent is already by large a multiracial continent.
Europe was modeled and inspired by its closest ally,
the US after WW2. One by one, European nations saw an influx of immigrants,
both from within and outside our continent. The most developed and rich
countries, like France and Britain, have become multiracial since the ‘50s.
This trend continues until today, with all EU nations
having a proportion of their citizens originating from another continent. But
if the US, a nation that was established as a multiracial, multi-ethnic society a bit over than two centuries ago, still struggles to solve its own racial
inequality issues, what chance does Europe has in succeeding where America
fails?
Additionally, Europe is still comprised by nation
states and its citizens’ sense of nationhood based on ethnic background, is
much more prominent than in the US. And if we look at how we still struggle to
fully integrate our own native ethnic minorities, like the Roma people, the
future for Europe’s social equality does not look bright either.
It is time to acknowledge our own race problem. Are we
conforming to the image and standards we are trying to promote to the world, or
are we floundering? Perhaps European societies are also highly hypocritical
about and towards their migrant communities.
We are happy to have someone serve us at a restaurant
or clean after us in a hotel, look after our needs in a hospital or work to
build our homes and collect our food in the fields. However, what happens to
these people if they lose their jobs, they get sick and in need of a friend or
social security?
Europe is not unacquainted to immigrant ghettos. Most
European capitals have them and we witnessed a fair share of violence in the past.
But we do not like to openly discuss about it.
Largely it is because of our politicians’ lack of will
and action, yet the responsibility also falls on each one of us. How we treat
our migrants, is not only under the state’s authority and control.
We can also be the employers, colleagues, customers,
the roommates, schoolmates, or neighbors to every George Floyd, across Europe.
How we treat or interact with them, or how do we protest when we see an
injustice being done upon them, will make a huge difference in their lives.
We should be doing some soul searching too, to establish
if we are seriously ready to live in a multiracial society, or we just tolerate
it because it is socially unacceptable not to. Perhaps we have allowed Europe to
become multi-ethnic, just out of a complex for the crimes committed in our
colonial past, or simply out of need of cheap labor.
But we do not wish to truly reform the laws of our
countries, nor our mentality and attitude towards migrants, to ensure social
justice and integration for all. If that is the case, then incidents like what
is happening in the US right now, will also become a European norm.
That is why this is a great chance for our continent
to ponder on its future and make sure it learns from America’s failures. Either
that is police criminality against migrants, lack of jobs and educational
opportunities, inequality of income and social exclusion.
Another issue that we must observe, is how these
protests are being held or portrayed by the media. Scenes of looting, damage of
private property and violence towards policemen or individuals of another race,
are highly disturbing.
One may accuse the media or the US government of trying
to dilute the seriousness or intentions of such protests, however there is no
excuse for grasping such opportunity to steal from a private vendor.
I cannot recall, Martin Luther King or Rosa Parks condoning
the theft of three pairs of expensive shoes, to justify their cause. They must
have been way angrier or in despair than the modern civil rights activists,
they were campaigning during the ‘50s, when America was still a largely
segregated and unequal society.
However, they kept their cause dignified. It is the
responsibility of each and one of the protesters, to remind themselves that
this is not the time for pettiness and opportunism, they do not do any justice
to the memory of George Floyd. Plus, they are damaging their reputation as a
movement.
Europe is watching and the future of all people of
color, ethnic minorities, and immigrant communities on both sides of the
Atlantic, could be affected by the outcome of such civil unrest movement.
If they fail to make any difference again this time or
allow their government to portray them as anarchists and looters, then both
America and in extend Europe, will see the perpetuation of stereotyping of
black people; and this time, they will have a share of the responsibility.
