I heard an interesting interview this week that included England’s football captain Rio Ferdinand. However, it had nothing to do with football or his role in tackling racism. Last week, Rio MacFarlane, an 18-year old black teenager was murdered on the streets of Peckham. Rio was gunned down after a case of mistaken identity. Rio was not part of a gang, nor had he ever wanted to be. He was a promising young footballer who was studying sports science at college. Ferdinand, who grew up in Peckham and is a family friend, was doing his bit to ask for witnesses to come forward and find the culprit of this horrible act.
We need to remember that gun and knife crime is not defined as a crime linked to black people. We should understand though that carrying such weapons is becoming more common in such neighbourhoods and the assassins are becoming younger and younger. The thing that struck me, when I listened, was the flood of texts from the black community about the notion of being a grass. As you may know, I am not black, nor do I have any contact to these neighbourhoods; but I found some of the responses astonishing. The lack of respect and acceptance for the Police appears hollow. There is no reason to believe that impunity and murders should be accepted as the norm. After the surge of killings in 2008, the media lens highlighted the glamour and pervasive nature of gang culture. The language brazenly adopts a military intonation, but they aren’t fallen soldiers – they are sons, brothers, cousins and friends.
Hopefully Rio’s legacy will be lasting, not just another black boy who was shot.
We need to remember that gun and knife crime is not defined as a crime linked to black people. We should understand though that carrying such weapons is becoming more common in such neighbourhoods and the assassins are becoming younger and younger. The thing that struck me, when I listened, was the flood of texts from the black community about the notion of being a grass. As you may know, I am not black, nor do I have any contact to these neighbourhoods; but I found some of the responses astonishing. The lack of respect and acceptance for the Police appears hollow. There is no reason to believe that impunity and murders should be accepted as the norm. After the surge of killings in 2008, the media lens highlighted the glamour and pervasive nature of gang culture. The language brazenly adopts a military intonation, but they aren’t fallen soldiers – they are sons, brothers, cousins and friends.
Hopefully Rio’s legacy will be lasting, not just another black boy who was shot.
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