As the Black Lives Matter movement continues to push for change, reform and equality, here are 5 petitions that you can sign now to help this incredibly important movement.
1. Suspend UK Export of Tear Gas, Rubber Bullets and Riot Shields to USA
The UK cannot continue to supply the USA with tear gas, rubber bullets and riot shields that are being used against protestors, which is a continuous breach of human rights. On the petition page, it states that: “By continuing the sale of these items, the UK is choosing profit over human rights and is unacceptable. Government records show it grants export licences worth millions of pounds for the sale of anti-crowd gas, riot equipment and other small arms to the US – but the government’s own rules say such exports should not go ahead where they are likely to be used for “internal repression”.”
2. Medical Schools Must Include BAME Representation in Clinical Teaching
Medical teaching needs to be representative of the society that we live in. This petition states that: “We call on the GMC to pass guidance requiring that course material in all medical schools must include ethnically diverse examples of case presentations – especially in clinically relevant instances where disease presentation differs between white and black and minority ethnic (BAME) patients…It is important that BAME patients are acknowledged consistently throughout the teaching and not just in highly specific case studies.”
3. Anti-Racism Education to be Compulsory in UK Schools
The events from the past few weeks have highlighted how critically important it is that the UK holds itself accountable for it’s racist history. It has also highlighted how much of this is left out of the current school curriculum. As the petition page states: “On June the 2nd 2020 it seemed the world took part in #blackouttuesday to take a day off of posting personal content and spread the word of the Black Lives Matter Movement. Many took this day to educate themselves on Black history, political events and learn of individuals personal experiences of racism. However, it became apparent that much of what we learnt had not been taught at school.”
4. Replace the Colston Statue with Paul Stephenson
Following the removal of the statue of Edward Colston in Bristol during a Black Lives Matter demonstration, there have been suggestions as to what should replace it. This petition supports the notion that in its place should be a statue of Paul Stephenson. As the petition page states: “He led the 1963 Bristol Bus Boycott, started because Bristol Post annouced in 1961 that black workers were refused work despite a worker shortage due to a resolution from the Transport and General Workers’ Union. The Boycott influenced the creation of the Race Relations Act.”
5. Include Afro Hair Education In The Hairdressing NVQ
In hairdressing NVQ courses in the UK, there are currently no modules dedicated to afro hair. As this petition states; “We as an industry have a huge fault. This is the eduction of black hair. It’s not taught in college, not a single week or month. Not only is it not on your standard level 2 diploma but we as hairdressers have failed to offer our services to the best of our ability and educate ourselves in Afro hair… Having Afro training to be compulsory on an NVQ in hairdressing would change everything. And help to end the segregation in our industry.”
