The movement ‘Black Lives Matter’ is creating a much-needed outrage. Everything began after the murder of George Floyd by Police men. In support of the movement and to create awareness, the England and West Indies cricketers are wearing “Black Lives Matter” on their jersey.
The cricket which began after more than 100 days due to the pandemic witnessed England and West Indies taking the field for the first time in ‘new’ normal conditions. Before the game, the players took the knee in support of the movement. However, the best part of the day was Michael Holding’s speech about racism. There were two occasions, one that was live during the toss delay the other was pre-recorded one which Sky Sports released later.
Holding, now working as a commentator for Sky Sports, believes racism within society will not be eradicated until all people are properly educated.
He said: ‘Education is important unless we want to continue living the life that we are living and want to continue having demonstrations every now and again and a few people saying a few things.
‘When I say education, I mean going back in history. What people need to understand is that thing stems from a long time ago, hundreds of years ago.
‘The dehumanisation of the black race is where it started. People will tell you that’s a long time ago, get over it.
He said: ‘We have been brainwashed and not just black people, white people have been brainwashed in many ways.
‘Think about religion… I am not really a very holy person, not a very religious person but that is what we were taught.
‘Look at Jesus Christ and the image of Jesus Christ – pale skin, blonde hair, blue eyes. Where Jesus came from, who in that part of the world looks that way?
‘Again, that is brainwashing to show you what the image of perfection is. If you look at the plays of those days, Judas who betrayed Jesus, he’s a black man. Again, brainwashing people to think ‘he is a black man, he is the bad man.’
‘These lights that are shining on us. You can tell me who invented the lightbulb – Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb. Thomas Edison invented a lightbulb with a paper filament – it burned out in no time at all.
‘Can you tell me who invented the filament that makes these lights shine throughout? Nobody knows, because it was a black man.
‘So I hope people realise this Black Lives Matter movement is not trying to get black people above white people or anyone else, it is all about equality.
‘When you see somebody react to Black Lives Matter with ‘all lives matter’ or ‘white lives matter’, please, we black people know that white lives matter. I don’t think you know that black lives matter.
‘I was not taught in schools – Lewis Howard Latimer invented the carbon filament to allow lights to continuously shine. Who knows that?
‘Everything should be taught. When you go back through the schooling as a young man, I remember my school days. I was never taught anything good about black men.
‘You cannot have a society that was brought up like that – both white and black – only teach what is convenient to the teacher.
‘History is written by the conqueror, not by those who are conquered. History is written by the people who do the harming, not those who are harmed.
‘We need to go back and teach both sides of history.’
He said: ‘People could see life slowly ebbing out of the man and could see the look on the police officer’s face and the look on the other officers who were around as if they did not care if this man dies he is just another black man that we have killed.
‘If you don’t educate people, they will keep on growing up in that sort of society and you will not get meaningful change.
‘Everyone is recognising it, everyone is coming alive and seeing the difference in treatment of people. We are all human beings.
‘So I hope people realise this Black Lives Matter movement is not trying to get black people above white people or anyone else, it is all about equality.
‘When you see somebody react to Black Lives Matter with ‘all lives matter’ or ‘white lives matter’, please, we black people know that white lives matter. I don’t think you know that black lives matter.
‘So don’t shout back at us that all lives matter. The evidence is clearly there that white lives matter, we want black lives to matter now as well. It’s as simple as that.’
