“I want to thank every single one of you for coming out. This is very important, this is very vital. Black lives have always mattered. We have always been important. We have always meant something. We have always succeeded, regardless. And now is the time. I ain’t waiting! I AIN’T WAITING! I’ve been born in this country. I am 28 years old. Born and raised in London. Every black person understands and realizes the first time you are reminded that you are black. You remember. Every black person in here remembers when another person reminded you that you were black.
I need you guys to understand- I need you to understand how painful this shit is. I need you to understand how painful it is to be reminded every day that your race means nothing and that isn’t the case anymore, that is never the case anymore. We’re going to try today. We are a physical representation of our support for George Floyd. We are a physical representation on our support for Sandra Bland. We are a physical representation on our support for Trayvon Martin. We are a physical representation of our support for Stephen Lawrence. For Mark Duggan.
It is very very important that we keep control of this movement, and we make it as peaceful as possible. We make this as peaceful and as organized as possible. Because you know what, guys? They want us to mess up. They want us to be disorganized. But not today! NOT TODAY! Not today!
This message is specifically for black men: black men, black men we need to take care of our black women. We need to take care of- They are our hearts! THEY ARE OUR HEARTS! They are our future. We cannot demonize our own. We are the pillars of the family. Imagine this, a nation that is set up with individual families that are thriving, that are healthy, that communicate, that raise their children in love have a better rate of becoming better human beings. And that’s what we need to create. Black men, it starts with you. It’s done man, we can’t be trash no more. We have to be better. You don’t understand? I’m speaking to you from my heart. Look, I don’t know if I’m going to have a career after this, but f**k that! Today is about innocent people who were halfway through their process. We don’t know what George Floyd could have achieved, we don’t know what Sandra Bland could have achieved, but today we’re going to make sure that that won’t be an alien thought to our young ones. You lot came today, you left your kids, and when you see your kids they’re aimlessly playing, they don’t understand what’s going on.
Today is the day that we remind them that we are dedicated and this is a lifelong dedication. Guys, we don’t leave them stop you now. This is longevity. Some of you are artists, some of you are bankers, some of you are lawyers, some of you own shop stores. You are important, your individual power, your individual right is very, very important. We can all join together to make this a better world.
Thank you for coming out today. Thank you for your support. To us. Black people I love you. I appreciate you. Today is an important day, we are fighting for our rights. We are fighting for our ability to live in freedom. We are fighting for our ability to achieve. We are fighting for equality. And you are the physical representation of that. NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE!
Today is the day that we stand. We walk. It’s not about career, it’s not about money, it’s about your right to live as a human being.”
— John Boyega’s full speech during the Black Lives Matter protest at Hyde Park in London, England (June 3, 2020)
