British rapper, Stormzy and his company #Merky have pledged £10 million over the next 10 years to organisations fighting for racial equality and social justice in the UK.
The 26-year-old grime rapper, who took part in a recent Black Lives Matter (BLM) rally in London, released a statement through his company on Thursday.
He said;
The uncomfortable truth that our country continuously fails to recognise and admit, is that black people in the UK have been at a constant disadvantage in every aspect of life – simply due to the colour of our skin.
I am lucky enough to be in the position I am in and I have heard people often dismiss the idea of racism existing in Britain by saying ‘If the country’s so racist how have you become a success?!’ and I reject that with this: I am not the UK’s shining example of what supposedly happens when a black person works hard.
Stormy added;
There are millions of us. We are not far and few. We have to fight against the odds of a racist system stacked against us and designed for us to fail from before we are even born. Black people have been playing on an uneven field for far too long and this pledge is a continuation in the fight to finally try and even it.
The rapper’s donation will support organisations, charities, and movements involved in tackling racial inequality, justice reform, and black empowerment in the UK.
BLM protests were sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, US by a White ex-police officer, Derek Chauvin who choked him by the neck for over 9 minutes.
Many countries have joined the protest against police brutality and systemic racism.
