George the Poet has released a moving video addressing hate crime coinciding with the anniversary of the death of former MP Jo Cox.
Following recent terror attacks in Manchester and London, some police say they are receiving up to 54 reports of hate crime a day. However, there are claims that there are a further 170’000 hate crimes a year that go unreported.
George the Poet starts the poem with the statement that: “the defining characteristic of a hate crime is not actually hate…its prejudice”. The spoken word artist and rapper then goes on to address issues including the cause of hate crime and the lack of response from witnesses.
Jo Cox was shot and stabbed on 16th June last year by a far-right extremist, near her constituency of Bateley and Spen. Her husband has called on the country to come together against hatred on the anniversary of her death in over 100’000 expected events collectively named ‘The Great Get Together’.
The video was released in collaboration with the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the aim being to fight the cause of hate crimes and encourage people to report them. George the Poet (the pseudonym of George Mpanga) calls on us, “during times like these…to hold on to the values of fairness and respect that distinguish us as humans”.
The chair of the Commission, David Isaac added that “The Commission is calling for a zero-tolerance approach to hostility and hatred and [that he]would urge anyone who experiences or witnesses hate crime to report it.”
Watch the poem below.
