Another Violation and Deafening Silence

This time last week we were clapping and celebrating women for International Women’s Day yet with those same hands a young girl, no a young BLACK girl was violated at the hands of those whose job it is to protect and serve. If this doesn’t upset you or anger you, I just ask you to pause for a moment and ask yourself why? 

I know without a shadow of a doubt that if this happened to any schoolgirl within your sphere, you would be outraged and begin mobilising others. Yet a 15year old black girl in Hackney, probably only gets swiped over whilst you look for something more conscionable. 

I know that change will take time, I’m evidencing amazing energy by people who would have previously stood on the side, drawn their curtains, or looked the other way now actively engaging. But the problem is that we will respond to gut-wrenching events such as Sarah Everard and George Floyd, but fail to understand that the violation this 15year old girl experienced lies in the same spectrum unless we are willing to say, no more. As a parent with a daughter the chilling sound of silence rings too loud for me. 

Written by Akin Thomas, Founder and CEO of AKD Solutions