SonjaPolice arrested George Floyd because he allegedly wanted to pay with a counterfeit banknote. If he were white, a police officer would most likely not put him on the ground for such an offense and then press his neck with his knee for eight minutes, even though he said he could not breathe.
After his death, however, crowds took to the streets and said enough with racism and violence against blacks. The American children’s newspaper News-O-Matic reports that blacks are twice as likely to be killed by police officers as whites.
The mostly peaceful protests have turned violent in some places, so curfews were introduced in some cities. President Donald Trump even considered sending the army to the streets.
Fortunately, this did not happen.
Protesters in the US were also supported in Europe. In the British city of Bristol, a monument to a slave trader was demolished, and in Belgium, protests also drew attention to the country’s dark past. Many years ago, King Leopold II of Belgium created a private colony in the middle of Africa and exploited the population as slaves.
What can children do to reduce racism? News-O-Matic advises you to talk about it at school and with friends, to read a lot, to get acquainted with history, and to become allies of those who need your support.
Points to Consider
- Do you discuss racism at school?
- Do you know how the first people from Africa arrived to the USA?
- Have you read any books about slavery?
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The original version of this article was published on June 9th.
English translation courtesy of JL Flanner, Total Slovenia News, an English language website with news from and about Slovenia.
Mateja
Rebecca
Rok
