A deputy headteacher and Rickmansworth resident has shared her experiences of what was an “extremely positive and reflective” Black Lives Matter protest where around 300 people gathered at Rickmansworth Park a few weeks ago.
Rachel Clarke is the granddaughter of Betty Campbell MBE who became Wales’s first black head teacher in the 1970s, and she spoke at the gathering in Rickmansworth about how there is still a lot of adversity in the country, despite highlighting how much we have progressed.
She said: “I wanted to go because I think it is important to recognise that black lives haven’t been valued as much as others and wanted to share experiences of everyday racism.
“The conversation still needs to be had, but everybody needs to work together. This is not just the council, or the governments job to tackle. Everyone has a duty to keep talking about this.”
The event was family-friendly, and people brought posters and banners with them, and also took the knee for eight minutes in solidarity with what happened with George Floyd in the USA in May.
Rachel was among the many people who decided to speak at the event.
She added: “I wanted to make the connections of my grandmother and I feel like it is so important that we continue to keep the pressure on about this. But I also wanted to show how much we have progressed since the days that my grandmother was a part of.
“It was a fantastic opportunity for the wider community to empathise and reflect. It was a really positive atmosphere. Underlying all of it was a real sense of unity.”
Photo courtesy of Daniel Gardiner
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