MEDIA RELEASE 4th June 2020
Black Lives Matter Vigil Cheltenham
8th June 2020
Pittville Park
Cheltenham
2pm to 4pm
Lives of Colour is supporting Cheltenham’s black youth to host a vigil and stand in solidarity with George Floyd who was killed last week in the US. It is also an opportunity to hear from our youth who will give speeches to help everyone understand why what happened in the US has affected them and how they relate to it locally.
The Black Lives Matter Cheltenham vigil is to support our young people, stand in solidarity with George Floyd and offer the community an opportunity to come together and hopefully bring a better understanding between each other.
Shekinah Swamba,19, leader of the event has said,
“I felt so frustrated and helpless, I had to do something and would have been happy to see even 10 of my friends turn up to listen to what I had to say, but I have been over the moon by the response and support I have received from everyone”.
“We want everyone in the UK to feel recognised no matter who they are. Their experiences and their lives must mean something, instead of it being a burden and to be free from the threat of racial violence.” Eberechi Ukandu, 25, speaker at the event.
In the last couple of years, Lives of Colour’s work has focused on creating a platform where marginalised communities can have their voices heard. Our aim is to give these communities the visibility that they deserve and provide a space where all communities can come together and have the difficult, but necessary, conversations.
Outside of supporting this event, Lives of Colour offers diversity and inclusion services to organisations. We provide support for businesses, statutory organisations, communities and people. To ensure that our we all continue learning and unlearning from each other, so that the next generation grow up appreciating the difference we all have.
“It has been wonderful to see how many people have reached out to me to ask if there is anything they can do to help or what they can do to better understand issues around race. We can’t lose sight of the fact that it is a sad moment that has led to this, but we have to remind ourselves that it has offered us the opportunity for this conversation to be had”. Florence Nyasamo-Thomas
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