#ALL-BLACK LIVES MATTER
I live in a country where most of our population is black. If anything, I am considered the minority here. I can’t speak to the truly systemic racism that the world is witnessing through the real life, online murders of black people in America. Maybe it’s because I haven’t witnessed us as a minority in Kenya being brutally murdered. Since the beginning of COVID I have witnessed police brutality of my fellow black Kenyans in very similar ways to what I have seen all over the American news screens. We have seen deaths occur at the hands of power-hungry police officers here in huge numbers and yet I only chose to write today after seeing the world up in arms about George Floyd. I didn’t see hastags, black out Tuesday posts all over my social media timelime when our fellow Kenyans died. Yet somehow this one incident has resonated deeply in us all. I am not sure why. I have cried so much as I watched different videos of this story and yet when it happened on my doorstep, why didn’t it move me in the same way? Their lives matter — mattered. Their names unknown to me, or to the world. No hash tags, no news cycles, no riots, no looting, no protests for their lives.
The lives lost in police brutality here were most assuredly also on account of deep systemic issues. The one of tribal racism, the one of deep corruption, the one of socio-economic class wealth, the one of huge poverty and hopelessness. These issues have caused massive divides in our country for generations. Perhaps, when we were colonized we were bound together by one common enemy and once that rule was overthrown, we fell into deep divides and have seen the ongoing pillage of Kenyans and Kenyan resources ever since.
Whilst we may not have white privilege here -I recognize my privilege here. I know that having a roof over my head, food in my belly, access to a world class education, access to clean sanitized water, electricity, WIFI, and probably most importantly financial wealth and security allow me privilege. I was also bestowed this by my family generationally. And whilst our fore fathers may well have landed in this country to build railways, and boot strap their way into privilege because they didn’t have it, we are the generation of benefactors.
I am not suggesting that what happens here is the same in America but I see the similarity of systemic issues arising in the same ways. Murder & death. Kenyans killed for not following curfews, dying in our slums because day-to-day wage earners have lost their jobs and can’t feed their families. The end result is the same. Senseless, pointless and countless deaths in the name of privilege.
Whilst debates in America continue about whether or not the hastag should read #blacklivesmatter or #alllivesmatter — my belief is that ALL BLACK LIVES MATTER. Oppression is real all over the world and whilst it most certainly doesn’t come in the same ways, it exists. It exists in Kenya where those less wealthy are oppressed. We have millions in our population who have no real voice and even when they do come out in large numbers to vote for their next regime, are disheartened by the lack of true democracy. Our poorly designed legal structures don’t even come close to getting us justice for those lives lost. Corruption is a pandemic here and continues to serve those of us who have the luxury of wealth. When it comes time to vote for our next regime, we have seen violence like no other simply on account of tribal bias.
When the video first came out about George Floyd, I turned my face away and physically cringed at the sight. As I look back I realise I did the exact same thing when I watched the videos of violence that shrouded thousands of Kenyans — the difference now is in my response and maybe in that the orchestra of voices that have now been raised has given me the strength to talk about Kenyan lives. Black Kenyan lives.
I need to look at how in my own country, in my parenting, in my behavior, in my language, in my heart how to start to break down the real systemic issues that sit right here on my doorstep that result in the death of my fellow Kenyans. Seeing it through the lens of George Floyd has given me that. Your protests, your voices, your hashtags have created an opening in me that was long dormant and needs to be addressed and so to all of you — I say thank you. The gift of awareness that I will now put into action in my own way is something truly valuable to me. Namaste.
