The total number of hate crimes this year has increased by 6% since March, at a time where many hope to celebrate and embrace black culture.
Hate crimes in England and Wales have risen for the first time in three years while many celebrate Black History Month (BHM).
With BHM being a celebration of black culture it comes with the reminder of racism, hate crimes and microaggression that the black community have prevailed against.
This year we recognise the 49th anniversary of BHM.
October specifically recognises many milestones for the black community.
With October being the birth month of the father of afro beats Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti.
As well as it being 61 years since Martin Luther king junior became the youngest man ever to win the Nobel prize.
However, in light of the recent increase in hate crime, Jeffery, a member of the Nigerian society at Bournemouth University, recounts a story of micro aggression.
Jeffery had spoken to a fellow black student who had said that He had gotten on a university bus and was the first one to sit, then some white students came in and none of them sat close to him.
He said: “he felt weird and questioned, is it a thing in Bournemouth?”
“The seat next to him ended up being the last seat on the bus where someone eventually reluctantly sat next to him.”
Jeffery is collaborating with society presidents to help ‘people find their friends, find their crowd, and help them to speak out whenever they can’.
Jeffery added: “It’s not about the voices talking, it’s about the action taken.”
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