In light of recent events and inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, we’re using this blog to educate ourselves and others by listening to and amplifying the voice of prominent local musician and BLM campaigner Joseph Malik who gave an emotional speech at the recent Edinburgh In Solidarity For Black Lives Matter event in Holyrood Park. Here we pass the mic to Joseph to hear his experiences of racism growing up in Scotland and how he is using his voice to campaign for racial equality

Joseph Malik speaking at the Edinburgh In Solidarity For Black Lives Matter event, Holyrood Park, Edinburgh - pic by Papajgun photography

When I watched George Floyd die in front of me I was in tears. I thought as a society we were past this and personally it brought back a lot bad memories and dark nightmares for me.

I was born in Glasgow in 1971 and was abandoned at the hospital. My birth mother had giving me up due to the shame of having a mixed race child. I would have been taken into care if not for my Grandmother who took it upon herself to save me.

I was given back to my birth mother aged 5. She was living in Easterhouse and my memory of that is playing in the garden during the summer when some boys came up to me and kicked the shit out me and poured white paint over me. It took days to scrub it off.

Her partner put lit cigarettes out on me during that time so I was lucky my gran came in and rescued me again.

When I was 14, I was beaten close to death by four police officers in Shettleston in the back of a meat wagon - if not for one female officer saying ‘you’re killing him, stop’ I could have died.

Later when I moved to Edinburgh, I saw more racism. During the early 90s football casuals from Hearts and Hibs attacked many Africans and Asians.

I had supressed and blocked out all my childhood memories so I could carry on with my life, but everything came to a halt in my mid-40s with a complete mental breakdown, losing my job, house and becoming homeless. But I’m still glad that happened to me as it was a reset button for my life as I had been drowning myself in drugs and booze to block out the pain of my past.

I had therapy and all those dark nightmares came out. I now suffer from PTSD and depression. The death of George Floyd and watching the news feeds brought all that back. I knew I had to stand up and commit myself to doing everything I can to make sure these kind of things don’t happen to other kids like me hence joining the Black Lives Matter movement.

Within days, I was in touch with Cynthia Gentle, one of the leaders of the African community in Edinburgh and also one of the leaders of the Black Lives Matters movement here.

She became my sister in arms for a new family of the black folk in this city. I was invited to speak at the Edinburgh In Solidarity For Black Lives Matter event in Holyrood Park, the biggest gathering of the black community there has ever been in Edinburgh, plus all the many other races, families and the LTBQ community.

That day and that speech has changed my life. It was the bravest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I sat up all night listening to my mentor and hero Malcolm X and walked from my house through the city to the park with him still in my head. I waited my turn and Cynthia called me forward to speak and I just told my story of growing up in Scotland in both Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Seeing the black and white people in unity filled my heart with joy. I’m in the middle of making a new album and wrote a new song right after the protest. We recorded some of my speech and we have 5000 people chanting ‘Black lives matter / no justice, no peace!’. I get goosebumps every time I hear it in the studio

2020 could be one of the most important years ever with Covid 19 and the Black Lives Matter movement. The album is going to be my ‘What’s going on’ for 2020. After the album is out, I’m taking a break from music to be a full-time activist and mentor for the next generation of kids in Edinburgh.

On the negative side, I’ve had countless death threats to me and my family. I can take it, but to bring my kids into this isn’t right and it makes me feel sick that anyone would do that.

At the moment, I’m working long hours with the Black Lives Matters team to be ready for another protest on Saturday in the heart of the city. At the Black Lives Matter – Justice for Slaves protest we’re calling for the city leaders to bring down statue of Henry Dundas in St Andrew Square due to his role in delaying the abolition of slavery which led to more than half a million Africans being enslaved.

The Black Lives Matter – Justice for Slaves event takes place on Saturday 20th June at the Melville Monument at St Andrew Square from 12pm-3pm. The organisers of this peaceful protest event have urged anyone attending to wear masks, gloves and adhere to the 2-metre social distancing rules

Black Lives Matter - passing the mic to Joseph Malik