"Racism is a Pandemic Too" BLM Sign

Date2020

Credit LineGift of Lyndon Hancock, St. Thomas, Ontario, 2021.

Object number2021.015.001

Label Text10,000 Londoners converged on Victoria Park on June 6, 2020, to express their outrage at the May 25 killing of Minnesotan George Floyd at the hands of police. Many crafted signs to carry during the rally. Lyndon Hancock made this one. He explained his motivation for creating this sign and also for participating: “After watching George Floyd suffer and cry for help, "I can't breathe" over and over. It had enraged me, as well as others. As soon as I heard B.L.M protests were starting in Southern Ontario, and here in London, I wanted to participate. The event and turnout of others in support on B.L.M, even during a lockdown, was amazing! Why not run this annually? It should not end there. I chose a phrase that stood out and impacted me the most. With everyone's focus being on COVID-19 and how we're in a pandemic, I wanted to remind people that racism is a pandemic too. COVID-19 isn't the only outbreak.” The June 6 rally, organized by five young London women, was one of the largest rallies/demonstrations that London has ever seen. It was part of a global effort to call for racial equality for Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour around the world, including here in London and across Canada.

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