To the debate. May 25, 2020. Mobile footage of an arrest, the suspects final words would reverberate around the world. A killing in minneapolis which reignited a global fight for equality. Accused of using a fake bank note, his death would become a ca ta lyst bank note, his death would become a catalyst for change. His name. George floyd. You have to be blind this is bbc news. The headlines. The uk reports a record 40,000 to not see the mistreatment of black new infections in the past 2a hours. People and how it is systemic. The doctors say some Services Light has been shown on it. Everyone seesit light has been shown on it. Everyone are stretched to the limit. Sees it now. I have neverfelt so we see patients who are coming in sick to my stomach in my life, and when i look at that man, i see my who have covid symptoms, but we also see other patients coming in with dad, my little brother. When i first other problems who turn out to be covid positive and, between that, there is a great deal of difficulty getting those patients through into the wards. Saw the video, i wept. I was in after President Trump finally signs a Coronavirus Relief bill, democrats try to increase tea rs. The pay outs to americans. A chinese journalist who reported saw the video, i wept. I was in tears. We, National Football league, on the early days of the coronavirus condemn racist and the systematic outbreak has been sentenced to four years injail. Oppression of black people. Also in the programme. Condemn racist and the systematic oppression of black peoplem a major study of the Atlantic Ocean condemn racist and the systematic oppression of black people. Is only so oppression of black people. Is only so much you can take. Its been going on for hundreds of years and has discovered species previously unknown to science. People are tired, are ready for change. A friend asked why i wanted to go to the post test because it is not in england and it is that White Privilege that people dont normally notice. People are saying, i have to look out for myself from now reason other than being black. It means power, pride and faith. And my cry for freedom. Germany. New zealand. Japan. Caech republic. America. And the uk. 2020 produced some of the most striking antiracism images seen for decades. Using momentum generated by the anger surrounding the death of george floyd, athletes from a multitude of sports took the opportunity to deliver a clear message it was time for change. Its the most momentum around this decade old issue that ive ever seen in my lifetime. This murder of george floyd has highlighted an issue that has been with us in this country and something we have been dealing with as a country for over 50 years now. And that is the systemic and institutionalized racism that happens every single day in this country. People are fed up with it, not just black people. White people who know that. They see the hypocrisy and what we talk about as a country and what we stand for, and they see that is not happening. They are fed up too. We have never been under such a magnifying glass, a positive magnifying glass, where people are actually listening. Like, they hear us all the time. For 400 years we have been heard but we have never been listened to and action has never taken place as rapidly as it is now. So now is the time to call those people out and demand change. I want to put my kid in gymnastics. I want to have my kid play with other kids to school and for it to not be a problem. And it starts now with changing the future. And it starts with education, and not by having black people educate the public. I had to learn myself my true history. American history is so brainwashed. I had to take it upon myself to learn my real heritage. This is a worldwide uprising and i feel so. If there is such a thing as world peace, this feels really close to it. And it warms my heart in a way that has never been touched before. When we can see with our own two eyes the reality of the situation, for decades, nobody believed black americans when they said the police harassed and used excessive force. Young black americans are really seeing that the activism is necessary to contend with some of the things that happen to them, they are taking a responsible attitude in dealing with it and im pleased when i see that. It is gone on for over a number of generations now. The process and reaction that followed were not just about one mans death. It was about racism and prejudice. It is really sad to see this is what it takes for people to start noticing, not noticing, but start saying stuff but why should it be recorded . Why werent people this way before . And it is really tough seeing his family and his kids, but the movement he has started, hopefully it will echo an eternity and this will be the time and the day that everything changes. Six time formula i World Champion lewis hamilton, claimed as the sports only black driver, it was a battle he often felt he was fighting alone. After a series of tweets in which he voiced his anger at being that lone figure, other fi drivers responded, saying previously they had remained silent over issues like this and accepted it was also their responsibility to speak up against discrimination. A lot of the discrimination black people face, whether it is day to day experiences or a more overt systemic form, can be traced back to the slave trade and the places like this, liverpool docks. During the 19th century, vessel after vessel left the african continent. Onboard, and shackled, cramped, man, woman, and children. Those lucky or could be argued unlucky enough to survive the journey were then sold into slavery. After slavery was officially abolished, the newly freed former slaves found that themselves living in a society that still largely deemed them inferior. And it is claimed the aftermath of that system is still being felt today. Our history books for our kids in this country tells them very little about slavery, about the 100 years ofjim crow laws when black people were considered three fifths of the worth of white people, and we didnt have the right to vote, the civil rights movement, our history books tell our people very little about that, which is part of the reason why many white people dont get it, because they never have even been taught that this is what happened. This is the legacy of slavery. This is what it did to people who were taken from their land, killed, brought to this country as slaves, existed for years as slaves, for centuries, and then given their freedom but there was no freedom, and 100 years of continued oppression and legal discrimination. If you do not know that history and know what that would do to a person. What do we do when we read Something Like that . We automatically put ourselves and imagine what that will be like if we were in that situation. You would then be able to empathize. But you cannot empathize of something you dont even understand. If it all appears that we alljust ended up here and all equal and all started at the same place, certainly you do not understand. Sport has always played an Important Role in tackling discrimination. Whether it is a simple question of respect or inclusion, to more complex political issues like war, athletes have always used their platform and profile to fight for what they believe in. Jesse owens at the Olympic Games in 1936 in berlin. Four gold medals in less than an hour. And credited with crushing hitlers dreams of aryan supremacy. Althea gibson, a five time grand slam winner during the 1950s. An incredible feat considering it was during a period where black americans were banned from most tennis clubs. Muhammad ali, jailed and stripped of his heavyweight title, for refusing to be enlisted into the us army and fight in vietnam. Then there is tommy smith, mexico city, 1968. The demonstration regarded as one of the most overtly political statements in the history of sports. A silent gesture heard around the world. We had atrocities just before i stepped on the victory stand. You had dr Martin Luther king. You had the kennedys. You had malcolm x. You had a plethora of murders, of social movements, being gathered and i think 68 was one of those times when people would have to stop, and they did stop and think of why that victory stand had to happen. It is not plentiful in thought that tommy smith wanted to do it, but it was his responsibility to show that need and i think the athletes today are doing basically the same thing, people like Colin Kaepernick, who has been seen all over the world, took a knee. I took a stand, but were moving in the same direction. Have you seen the footage of George Floyds final moments and what was your reaction as you watched that video . Very sad. Very uncalled for. Totally uncalled for. But murder is always uncalled for. Especially when you have no confidence in your being in a position that you are, which the police were. Totally eradicated a life which was uncalled for and certainly desperation on their part was so outlandish that it cost a life of a person who should not have been in the position, with the head down with the knee on the carotid artery area and took his life. How can you live in a society that is called freedom when we know that there are certain people that are targeted, we are sick and tired of seeing our Black Brothers and sisters lives placed in danger by a white person on the neck of a person calling it policing. That is only one case. There are many cases like this that you have never heard of. And you will hear them as we move through this system of uncovering racism. More than 50 years ago, tommy smith made a stand. But the issue of race has not gone away in society or in sport. The lack of black managers in the English Premier League has long been a criticism considering black players make up a large portion of the squads wasnt the same can also be said for the top leaks in germany, spain, and italy. Steven gerrard, your frank lampards, your Sol Campbells and your ashley coles, they all, with respect, have done their coaching badges, coaching at the highest level. The two that have not been given the right opportunities, the two black former players. In recent years, the man city and England Forward claims he has been the target of negative attention from the media because of the colour of his skin. With parts of the press reinforcing racial stereotypes. Theres only so much people can take only so much communities and other backgrounds can take, especially black people. It is been going on for hundreds of years and people are tired. People are ready for change, and i see a lot of people on socials and stuff supporting the cause, but this is something that is more than just talking. We need to actually implement change and highlight the places that do the changes. But this is something that i myself will continue to do, sparking these debates and people in my industry looking at themselves and in thinking what they can do to give people an equal chance in this country. In america, former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been a another outspoken antiracism campaigner. The taking of a knee, replicated by so many athlete since with a gesture first taken by the american footballer and 2016. A direct protest against police brutality, caepernick has not played a game in the league since. His actions prompted a direct response from president donald trump. Wouldnt you love to see one of these nfl owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say get that son of a expletive off the field right now . Hes fired hes fired. Days after George Floyds death, some of the most well known names in the nfl broke rank, calling out their own league. Black lives matter George Floyds death came during the global covid 19 pandemic. Yet despite warnings against breaking social distancing rules, several athletes left the safety of their homes to lend support to the black lives matter movement. No matter how big or small your platform is, use your voice. I saw a dr king quote that said the silence of the good people is worse than the brutality of the bad people. So we need to not be silent. If you are choosing silence, you are choosing to be silent oppressors. One of the many things i heard this week was it is not my problem. This is what i have to tell you if you listen to black music, if you like black culture, if you have black friends, then this is your fight too on the field of play, sport is a great leveler. The best performance should win regardless of skin colour. But many black stars still have to navigate racial barriers. Collinjackson is one britains best known track and field athlete. But his life could have been very different had he not been put off the sport he first fell in love with. The biggest problem was when i played cricket as a kid. I was a captain of my school team and five of us going in for the opportunity to play for wales in that sense, to get on the national team, and the fifth person, who was the captain, did not get through. I only see one reason for that. There is only reason. That is the reason why i walked away from cricket right there in the end. That was not the sport for me. One of the problems that we have, we dont have role models across all industries, that is where our problems lie. And we find ourselves in sport as a race because that is a very secure place for us. We see many People Like Us performing at the highest levels in achieving, so it is a secure area for us to develop and aspire to be. But if we created that same space in any business and in every walk of life, black people would be just as successful in every single area of society, notjust sport as people perceive. The thing that excites me is you can talk openly now without people rolling their eyes at you thinking here you go again. Established stars can reflect on what has happened and what is happened during their careers. For many upcoming black sports stars, the future is daunting. I have been warned by family, friends and a few strangers even that i need to be careful when im out in public or around policemen because of the colour of my skin, and that is a shame to hear. Darcy bourne has represented england at under 21 level. For the next stage in her development, she is flying to the us, where she has a Sports Scholarship at Duke University in north carolina. It is upsetting that people are saying you have to look out for myself or have to protect myself for no reason other than the fact that im black. I woman i never met before, we talked about how i was going to america and she just moved back from america. She was white but her husband is black. She told me that i should carry a pocket pistol or pepper spray to protect myself because people wont want to attack me. I dont intend on bringing a gun with me. But it is a shame that she felt so passionately that she needed to tell me that that i was in danger. There is no doubt social media has played a key part in what we have seen this year. Firstly, sharing images of injustices, but also secondly the support from those demanding change. This image of 18 year old darcy went viral after she was pictured at a protest in london. It was even shared by the son of civil rights campaigner Martin Luther king jr. Ijust wrote black lives matter and painted a sign in the middle of the night and decided to put the question mark, because i was watching videos and seeing all political sides of the debate but i didnt understand why it should be a debate. Not many people actually call themselves racist but racism still exists. I didnt think anything of it. The next day when i went to instagram, the editor of chief of British Vogue put it out and it went viral very quickly and celebrities posting it and strangers reaching out to me and it was nice to see. It was when Martin Luther king iii posted it, and i was really taken back, speechless because it meant the world to me when i saw that, because of the work he has done and his father has done is an inspiration to me and people around the world. Darcys future and how much difficulty she will face because of the colour of her skin is still up in the air. But George Floyds that has directly impacted her future in sport and in society. And the same can be said for millions more around the world. We have all learned now that this is at the point, you get to a point that you have to choose a side. And we are at that point now. We look at the momentum behind this, and how it has shown a spotlight on and magnify the problems that have been systemic in this country for so long, there has been a great deal of effort to hide and sweep under the carpet, but now that is been exposed. The change is coming. It is coming in a way that it should have happened two times over because the power of racist tendencies or racism or systematic racism, we are going to an era where there will will be changed yes, we will in this stupidity sooner or later. George floyds legacy could be have been born for this particular reason, his name and his death will change the lives of so many black people across the planet forever. Hello. Whether for the week ahead definitely continues the winter theme. We started with a Winter Wonderland on monday all the way from the highlands of scotland, south to the cotswolds in south west england, and a few spots in between of course as well. With temperatures staying below average through the re st of staying below average through the rest of this week, denoted by the blue colours on the chart, what falls from the sky will often be in the form of sleet and snow, so please winter through the rest of the week to see 2020 and will continue to do that into the start of 2021 with dry and sunny weather around as well and some icy nights. I see start to tuesday as well, snow across Northern England and drafting through the midlands and to wales as well. Around the peripheries of the country, showers. Lower levels and if you spot as well. Got to watch as its starting up across cornwall over the next few days. It is around the we st we the next few days. It is around the west we of the breeze with lighter winds and then we have a mist of fog lingering. Then we have it dry, clear, very frosty and icy cold air. Then this dominant allow to the east of us, that gives us a significant, widespread snow. To the south, milderair, widespread snow. To the south, milder air, colder widespread snow. To the south, milderair, colderairon widespread snow. To the south, milderair, colderair on the Northern Edge and crucial to the track. It is subject to change. It could fringe into Northern Ireland and at the moment it seems likely dominant airwill be and at the moment it seems likely dominant air will be through wales towards east anglia through wednesday and wednesday night. Rain along the south coast, but it could have a impact on southern areas even if it doesnt during the day is that players to end the night into thursday, new years eve we see some siiow thursday, new years eve we see some snow for a time. Frost and ice takes us snow for a time. Frost and ice takes us into new years eve then a flurry that pushes down the eastern half. Temperatures staying below where they should before the time of year. Then it is covered in the snow around, linked into a low pressure syste m around, linked into a low pressure system which keeps the northerly flow in place for new years day. We will see this zone of rain, sleet and snow linger during the morning of new years day and it will start to fizzle. Soon the cloud means we will not see much of it as the winds co nve ig e will not see much of it as the winds converge into it, but a bit of new years day sunshine, good day for a walk and it will be called again, and day to wrap up a temperature that best mid single figures. Through the night, friday into saturday, low pressure through the night, friday into saturday, low pressure drift through the night, friday into saturday, low pressure drift a bit further south and they go into a north easterly direction which means the showers that have been persistent through wales and the south far west of england. Then we bring more showery shot with sunshine in between. Then is he going to the first part of 2021, a jet stream dips to the south of us, we are on jet stream dips to the south of us, we are on the cold side and a low pressure revolves around western europe and we could see loads of cloud with rain, sleet and snow mix pushing back and across the country particularly for southern areas so 00 27 20,031 2147483051 50 25,480 we will not be done with the wintry 2147483051 50 25,480 4294966103 13 29,430 weather