On 25 May in Minneapolis at around 8 pm, the police were called on an unarmed black man whose name many have become familiar with – George Floyd. The next 8 minutes and 46 seconds of his life would be his last. Millions have watched the footage of Floyd pleading for his life as he struggled to breathe while an officer kneeled on his neck to pin him down. Other officers on the scene stood by and watched. Floyd was officially pronounced dead at 9:25 pm on 25 May.

What has followed in the aftermath of Floyd’s death is a series of protests born out of anger, confusion, loss, and devastation – another traumatic and unnecessary death at the hands of incompetent police officers. On 3 June, the BBC reported that thousands of people gathered in London to protest in solidarity with American demonstrators and to march in support of bringing an end to racial inequality. Protestors gathered in Hyde Park before marching through the city. U.K. chief constables have stated that the right to lawful protest is a “key part of any democracy.” However, they have also stressed that coronavirus restrictions are still in place.

An unfortunate truth that often comes to light in times like this, is that many non-marginalized communities are under the impression that the U.K. is more progressive on race than the U.S. – that the U.K. “isn’t as bad”. This is not the case. With its shameful and violent history of colonialism, the very foundation of “Great” Britain was built on racism. Some of the British Empire’s worst atrocities such as the Mau Mau Uprising are not even taught as part of the curriculum in British schools.

Race relations in the U.K. stem from a long colonial legacy that has established a power structure that has dehumanized black people and other ethnic minorities for centuries. With this dehumanization comes indifference – a deadly weapon that is deployed around the world, not just in the U.S. It is indifference that was so pertinent in the cases of Belly Mujinga, Julian Cole, Mark Duggan, Olaseni Lewis, Sarah Reed and all the other black individuals who have been brutalized and ignored by a racist system.

Racism, especially in the U.K., is more than just name-calling and physical violence. It is far more insidious, and it creeps into the institutions that surround us. Structural racism is at the core of Britain’s treatment of black people and other ethnic minorities.

In a report by the Department for Education, it was found that black children are three and a half times more likely to be excluded than all other children in primary, secondary, and special schools. There is a correlation between this disparity and the unconscious bias that causes some teachers to view black children as inherently disruptive and inferior. Anti-blackness is in the criminal justice system, it is in schools and universities and it is in the workplace.

A CNN report from 1 June has shown thousands protesting across the world including in the U.K., Germany, France, Syria, and Australia, to name a few. What we are seeing is a worldwide call for accountability within the racist institutions that have proven time and time again that they do not value the lives and humanity of marginalized communities. Racism is not just an American issue. It is a global issue and to say that the U.K. doesn’t have a race problem is to deny the lived experiences of millions of people who are simply tired of having to fight for basic decency.

On 2 June, many participated in #Blackouttuesday but as the Black Lives Matter movement continues to gain attention, it is important to remember that it is more than just a trend. It is more than a hashtag and a black screen on Instagram. It is a call to action. Black people and ethnic minorities across the world are tired. Tired of institutionalized racism. Tired of the constant denial and dismissal of lived experiences of prejudice. And tired of injustice.

An unjust system can only be dismantled and rebuilt once those who benefit the most from unequal societal structures stop living in denial.