[Photo ID: a demonstrator holds a sign saying "Justice for George Floyd" at protests in Liverpool, with a banner superimposed declaring "Pembroke believes that Black Lives Matter"]

Black Lives Matter

George Floyd was violently murdered by officers of the Minneapolis Police Department on 25 May, and we have all reacted with immense shock and disgust. The killing of George Floyd has sparked protests across the world, though we must recognise that this was only the latest in a long list of acts of police brutality and systemic racism which have occurred in the US. We must also recognise that racism exists in implicit forms, and racism of this nature is insidious and endemic in the UK.

Pembroke in solidarity

We have created this fund to advance financial resources towards organisations which work to alleviate racism both in the UK and internationally. This fund specifically targets anti-black racism, which we must recognise as a specific form of racism amongst the various oppressive structures which are the lived experiences of people of colour.

We encourage everyone, particularly members of Pembroke College, to donate what they are able to.

It must be made abundantly clear that this is being managed independently from the Pembroke JCR, without use of any of the JCR monies.

How the fund will be used

25% of the proceeds from this fund will be directed towards each of the following four charitable causes. Please click for more info.

The Official George Floyd Memorial Fund: This GoFundMe page was established by Philonise Floyd, the brother of George Floyd. All proceeds will go to family, to cover funeral and burial expenses, mental and grief counselling, lodging and travel for all court proceedings, and any other way that it can be used to help them. A portion will also be given to the Estate of George Floyd, for the benefit and care of his children and their educational fund.

The Belly Mujinga Memorial Fund: Belly Mujinga was a ticket office worker at Victoria Station, London, where she and a co-worker were assaulted by a man who spat on her. Within days, both women fell ill, and Belly sadly died from Covid-19. The police have declined to prosecute the case. The fund goes directly to the family and was established to fund for her funeral costs.

The Black Curriculum: The Black Curriculum is a social enterprise which works to address the lack of Black British history in the UK Curriculum. They deliver Black history programmes for all young people aged 8 to 16, provide teacher training, and mobilise young people to facilitate social change. They also work to improve social cohesion between young people in the UK. As part of such a powerful educational establishment ourselves, we should work to ensure Black History is taught without bias, and not just during October or simply ignored. As covered by the Guardian here.

The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust: Your background should not limit what you can achieve. This is the primary belief which anchors the work of the Stephen Lawrence Trust, established after his murder in 1993. The racist attack sent shockwaves across the UK and exposed multiple failings on the part of the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and the wider justice system. The Trust is spearheaded by Stephen's mother, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, and is committed to social justice and providing education for the young, disadvantaged people.