Stormzy pledges £10m to fight racial injustice

#MERKY’s newly announced financial aid is a response to ‘the uncomfortable truth that our country continuously fails to recognise and admit that Black people in the UK have been at a constant disadvantage in every aspect of life’. Stormzy continues to say that ‘we have to fight against the odds of a racist system designed for us to fail before we are even born. Black people have been playing on an uneven field for far too long and this pledge is a continuation in the fight to finally try and even it.’

Other artists have also expressed frustration at the societal racism that is still prevalent throughout the industry. Gucci Mane stated on Twitter in a now deleted tweet that he is to leave Atlantic Records in July, describing them as ‘polite racist’. H.E.R released a song titled ‘I Can’t Breathe’ as a response and tribute to the death of George Floyd, and Tyler The Creator’s criticisms of the term ‘urban’ all the way back in early 2019 are only now being addressed and remedied.

Creators and musicians speaking out about the racial injustices and biases that still permeate our everyday lives is nothing new. George Floyd’s untimely death and the subsequent worldwide outrage has finally pushed industry leaders and big companies to do something meaningful to tackle the issue. Stormzy has spoken out against government for years and his latest pledge will be good news for the UK charities that are making a difference.

There’s a lot more that needs to be done, but the world’s response in recent weeks is a start. Plus, this is a great reminder to go listen to ‘Vossi Bop’, an absolute banger that insults our current prime minister in wonderfully blunt fashion.