“The turnout was amazing, we expected 500 people, there were thousands.”
Yesterday, 11 months after the death of George Floyd, former police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of his murder. It was an historic verdict, but the war against systemic racism and police brutality has barely begun.
The Voice: The government’s commission on race was supposed to address the concerns of the Black Lives Matter protesters who took to the streets last summer. Instead, it appears to be an attempt to silence them, setting a dangerous precedent for the future of race relations in the UK.
2020 in review: In a year of lockdown and social distancing, millions have hit the street to stand in solidarity against injustices that pre-existed – and were made worse by – the government mishandling of Covid-19.
Ayton is the megaphone-wielding figurehead of a movement that aims to eradicate institutionalised racism wherever it’s found. As focus turns from marches to three-tier local lockdowns, the 29-year-old is contemplating how to maintain momentum while socially distanced, and how to create real and lasting change within the UK.
Liv Little finds the 23-year-old Walsall-born singer-songwriter on the cusp of an extraordinary second act – and offering up her full self for the first time.
