July 26, 2020

Ep 16 - What Happens When You Break The Silence?

Ep 16 - What Happens When You Break The Silence?

After last episode’s round table discussion around why there is a reluctance in the UK and United States to talk about race, The Start Line Girls invite friends Tasha Thompson (@blackgirlsdorunuk) and Lara-Lee Green to discuss what happens when you do you break the silence to discuss race in what may be seen as traditionally white spaces - Tasha in the social pages of Runner’s World, and Lara-Lee in a Black Voices campaign launched by ITV.  The Start Line Girls also share their experiences after Emancipated Run Crew were featured on The Running Channel, and Jules's involvement in the ITV Black Voices campaign.

Tasha and Lara-Lee talk about how it feels to be at the receiving end of negative comments, which largely contained demands for issues of race to be left out of running and off TV and many of which completely refused to acknowledge the existence of racism in the UK. They also discuss the importance of allies, the entrance of brands in the racial debate and their hopes for the future. 

In the wake of the Black Live Matters demonstrations which erupted across the world following the killing of George Floyd, and in the shadow of the earlier deaths of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, negative reactions to discussion around race simply serve to demonstrate why we must continue to break the silence on issues concerning race and racial injustice - as unless we shine a light on these issues they will continue to hide in plain sight within our society. 

You can find out more about the ITV Black Voices Campaign by visiting the website here, where you can watch both Lara-Lee and Jules’s videos, and you can follow BlackGirlsDoRunUK on instagram by searching for @blackgirlsdorunuk.  You can also check out The Running Channel feature on Emancipated Run Crew here.


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Theme music: Street Festival by Franco Eneiro. Used under licence.

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