Many of us have watched with horror the awful and willful murder of George Floyd on the 25th May. To think in this day and age, that a person can be murdered like that in cold blood is outrages and sad beyond belief. It has prompted a global outcry and we have seen in the UK, protests against systemic racism in all walks of life. I find it difficult to relate to this feeling of anger and frustration, perhaps because I’m white, perhaps I’ve worked in a global industry where I thought that racism didn’t exist in an international community. In the travel industry we have a global language, the world is made up of communal recognition by 3 letter city codes, we even calculate air fares in a Neutral Unit of Currency.
It’s easy to think that we are not racist, because we like the people we know who are black or a different ethnicity – but is that enough? Is being anti-racist enough now? Should we renew the narrative to pro-racial integration?
I certainly know that in my personal community, if there is a volcano in New Zealand, bush fires in Australia, earth quakes in Los Angeles, we’d be talking about that and asking our friends how their extended family/friends are knowing they have been affected. Over a week has passed since George Floyd died and not one person in my personal community has mentioned it, which I find very sad.
So today I extend my sympathies to our colleagues, friends and associates who are members of the black/ethnic community, and ask for your help in helping me understand more about racism and how it affects you and your community. I believe only through education can we move forward and truly be an inclusive community in all aspects of our lives.
