https://www.skysports.com/football/n...n-white-people

Mike Wedderburn: Black Lives Matter is a cry for help, not an attack on white people

There seems to be a misconception that Black Lives Matter means that white lives don't.

That is the only reason I can imagine that someone would think it is a good idea to fly a banner over a football stadium only minutes after all the players and staff took a knee in support of a movement asking only for equality.

It's not the 'Black Lives Matter More' Movement. It is simply that they matter.

George Floyd wasn't a one off and don't kid yourself that it only happens thousands of miles away. It happens here.

In 1981, Yvonne Ruddock, a black 16-year-old, was celebrating her birthday until an arson attack put paid to the celebrations. She was one of 13 killed. The police treated the victims as suspects.

In 1985, the police shot and paralysed Cherry Groce in her own home in front of her children as they searched for her son who no longer lived with her. A week later a police raid resulted in Cynthia Jarrett's death, another innocent black woman.

In 2011, reggae star Smiley Culture died in a police raid. In 2016, the former Premier League footballer Dalian Atkinson was tasered to death by the police. Dead black men. None of the officers involved were held accountable.

This is not a definitive list, it is just a snap shot. This is reality for black people. Young black males are taught how to make sure they don't antagonise the police when they are stopped.

So, to the people who flew the banner over the Etihad… understand that black people want a level playing field, an equal chance. That is all. Not more than you, just the same opportunities as you.

You may have heard the phrase 'White Privilege' and been antagonised by it. Don't be.

It doesn't mean that you live in the lap of luxury and spend your life deciding which magnum of champagne you will have with your dinner. It means that life is tilted in your direction to such an extent that you probably don't even notice.

When you walk around the shops is it assumed you are a criminal? Do the police stop you regularly because you look suspicious? If you are black the answer is yes. Is it for you?

In your business what colour are the people who have the power? What colour are the people who make the decisions? What colour is the manager of your favourite football team? What colour is the owner of your favourite football team?

The chances are that the answers are probably white and if you are white it has probably never crossed your mind to give it much thought. Have a think about it now. That is white privilege.

Black Lives Matter is not an attack on white people. It is a cry for help.

It is a declaration that we won't take the current situation anymore. But nothing changes without the help of white people.