On 28 May 2020, a small group gathered outside the US embassy in London to protest against the murder of George Floyd days earlier. In the following week, thousands across the UK, and worldwide, would march in solidarity with Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Floyd’s death was far from the first time a Black man had been openly killed by police in the US, but the way he was murdered made millions across the world stop, listen, and even act. In the UK, institutions, government bodies, companies, and organisations expressed solidarity with the protesters. From banks to restaurant chains, educational bodies to health organisations, the message was clear: ‘We stand with you.’
For a brief moment, it felt that those in power had finally stopped talking over those daring to speak about racism and discrimination and started listening. ‘Diversity,’ ‘inclusion,’ and ‘anti-racism’ became buzzwords. Pledges were made and commitments given.
