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A Black Woman's Perspective On London's Knife Crime

Dealing with death is never easy. Although it is something that all of us are likely to experience in our lifetime, it can still be traumatic, especially when you feel there’s something you could have done to prevent someone you love from losing their life. 

As a young black woman living in London, I am lost for words every time I hear a young man’s life has been taken by knife crime, a painful epidemic that continues to claim the lives of so many young males across the country and I’m even more disturbed when I hear that a young black boy has died. Knife crime is not a black problem, but there is a racial dynamic that disproportionately affect young black males in London. 

As Temi Mwale of the 4Front Project said in her piece in the Guardian, “The unaddressed issues between the black community and the police are driven by historical failings that continue to be perpetuated to this day. Young black boys are still over-policed and under-protected. They urgently need culturally competent services that work with them holistically, addressing their sense of identity in a society that is hostile towards them.”