Clara Amfo is being praised for her emotional and powerful speech, aired on BBC Radio 1, in the wake of George Floyd’s death, Puza Snigdha reports.
Clara Amfo shared a strong statement yesterday following the death of George Floyd which touched on her experiences with racism, mental health, racism within culture and society and moreover she was too affected that she had missed her show on Monday.
She started by saying: “I didn’t have the mental strength to face you guys yesterday,”
“I was sat on my sofa crying, angry, confused… stuck at the news of yet another brutalised black body.”
Floyd’s death has sparked Black Lives Matter protests across the world, which also involved celebrities taking part and speaking out against racial injustice and donating to the cause.
“I’m fully aware that we are in the middle of this devastating pandemic, and I’m fully aware that I’m not a medical professional or a frontline worker,” said Amfo at the Radio 1 show yesterday on #blackouttuesday.
“Now, if you have small children or would rather not hear what I’m about to say, because I am going to discuss race and violence, please check out something else on the BBC Sounds app for the next few minutes. If not, then I really welcome you to stay with me.”
“Now as you know at Radio One, we talk a lot about mental health, and mine was in a really bad way yesterday. In fact, it has been for the past few days in particular in relation to the death of George Floyd.
“George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died whilst being held under arrest. Now I didn’t have the mental strength to face you guys yesterday. To ask, ‘Hi, how was your weekend?’ like I usually do with my happy intention, because I know that my weekend was terrible. I was sat on my sofa crying, angry, confused, and also knowing, stuck at the news of yet another brutalised black body.”
However, Amfo has since received a lot of praise on social media for her powerful words.
You can listen below:
