Saturday, May 09, 2020

Just married for one year & we sold up and entered a different planet ....





My first encounter with a black human
was when me and Mrs Beautiful
went to live and work in a Young Offenders Unit
in Cheshire in the 60's..

All Manchester boys.
I loved them much.
They were a pain to live with.

We were residential houseparents to 15 boys
all between 14 and seventeen.
All sentenced by the courts.

There was mixed race and black young uns
amongst our family
I came face to face with the cruelty of racism there.

In Londons East End in the mid 70's
I came across a massive bitter violent kind of racism.
Defending the rights of all young people
against bullying and outright violence
was fearful years for me.

I lived in fear often as I tried to stand for justice
including the equality of all whatever colour of skin.
The front door of the Youth Club was sprayed with racism.
My car was also sprayed with those bitter letter
NF = National Front - the EDF of those days.

Those were also the Thatcher years.
She did not support the anti-apparthied movement.
I became a member of the Anti Apartheid movement.
I also did courses led by passionate black women and men.

So many people lived out hate towards anyone who was different.
I didn't do HATE
I believed in LOVE
Because LOVE does a better job.
But it was tough in a community with massive deprivation factors.

But I did get various bodies to join the anti Apartheid movement.
Mayflower, FYT, Greenbelt Festival, YMCA ..............
(even though we found out the charities were not supposed
to become members of 'political' organisations.)

I see hear feel beautiful imperfection
within me
around me
On TV
and in every day life.

YOU challenge me.

I want to refresh my irritation daily.
I want to BECOME
All I can become
without trampling on others
for my benefit.

#YouAreBeautiful 


BHP

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