THEe murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the USA is yet another reminder of the limited value placed on Black lives in a country and a world that are still to come to grips with the notion of racial equality.

The sight of Mr. Floyd being killed by a law enforcement officer in the full view of the public must force us to ask serious questions about how far the world has departed from the culture that informed Chattel Slavery. No society that prides itself as the beacon of democracy and freedom can be comfortable with its institutions, day after day treating its citizens as less than human. How many times in just the last few years have we not witnessed the wanton murder of Black men and women by an institution that is meant to protect them?

There can be no doubt that the scourge of racism is at the heart of this phenomenon. That America and the rest of the world have been unable to tame this beast is testimony to its institutionalised nature. Racism is built into the institutions and systems that we often take for granted as neutral arbiters. In other words, it is normative to believe that groups of human beings are inferior. Hence, it is normal to make assumptions about them, based on the colour of their skin. In the case of Mr. Floyd, the policemen made assumptions about the value, or lack thereof, of his humanity.

We offer our solidarity to the African-American community as it grapples, once again, with the logic of being Black in America. The cry that “Black Lives Matter” rings out beyond the physical space of the crime. Coming as it does on the heels of the gruesome murder of Breonna Taylor, who was shot in bed in Kentucky, and Ahmaud Arbery, who was shot while jogging in Georgia, Black America must ask, ‘What next’; the protests that have erupted are a manifestation of pent up frustrations of having to live in a society that is persistent in its denial of their human worth. That the media and others are now fixated on the protests and not on the causes is tantamount to administering salt in the gaping wounds.

We must ask why it is taking so long to bring charges against the policemen involved. What are they waiting for? The world has seen the evidence, thanks to the presence of mind of a 17-year-old girl who put her cell phone to the service of humanity. But the very delay in bringing charges points to the way in which the system protects those who take Black lives for granted. America must examine itself on this issue of racism. It is more than a blot; it is a social, political , cultural, and economic cancer.

What are the lessons for us here in Guyana? Well, there are many. Since March 2, we have witnessed a deterioration of race relations in our country. On March 6, we saw children, women and unarmed policemen and women being attacked by mobs in what appeared to be racially- motivated actions. Since then, the political leaders and their cohorts have silenced that development: It never happened. The racist rhetoric on social media and other public fora has now become commonplace, as the protectors of democracy lecture the country daily about democratic norms.

One political party has said that we do not have a race problem in Guyana. It is a denial that serves to mask racial intent, and in the process facilitates racism by another name. We urge the leaders to take off the mask and speak to their supporters about the dangerous path they have taken. Guyana cannot afford to go that way. Let us learn from what is happening in America.