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The world champion boxer has been defending his decision to speak out against racism and to urge protestors to refrain from rioting or looting.
Listening to the whole thing, there’s very little of controversy to Anthony Joshua’s speech at a recent Black Lives Matter event in Watford. The undisputed WBA, IBF, WBO & IBO heavyweight champion read a message to the assembled crowd—a poem written by a man named ‘Fatal Reece,’ decrying racism and calling for unity (speech transcript taken from the Evening Standard).
After the reading, Joshua called for a meeting with the mayor and councilor, calling to continue the conversation they started this day. He also asked for “confirmation from council” to support the building of a local community center, paid for by Joshua and other investors.
Today we join many thousands of protestors in the UK and many hundreds of thousands across the globe. We stand united against the virus that’s been instrumental in taking lives. Lives of the young, old, rich, and even poor. A virus that is not apologetic. A virus that spreads across all sectors of our communities. Sports, education, churches, entertainment, the media, and even the government. Not just in the UK, but across the world.
The virus has been declared a pandemic. It is out of control. And I’m not actually talking about COVID-19. The virus I’m referring to is called racism.
How long are we going to allow racism to spread through our communities and affect our lives without using the vaccine that you already have in your possession? What is the possession? Me and you. You are the vaccine. I am the vaccine.
We can no longer, from today onwards, be proud. We can no longer sit back and remain silent on the senseless, unlawful killing, sly racism of another human being. Based only on what? Their skin color. We need to speak out in peaceful demonstrations. Inject the vaccine.
We must not use the demonstration for selfish motives and turn it into rioting and looting. We need to be united in non-violent demonstrations, show them where it hurts, abstain from spending your money in their shops and economies, and invest in black-owned businesses.
During a segment of the speech focused on youth gang culture, Joshua interjected a few of his own thoughts on his past and his experiences.
“I’m gonna be real with you about gang culture,” Joshua told the crowd. “I’m down to ride, 100%, but what you have to realize is, it’s done. It is done, trust me. Unless you want to be sitting in jail, spending years upon years of the only life that you have, thinking about, ‘Yeah, they can lock the locks, but they can’t stop the clocks,’ that’s all done. Because there’s too much cameras, too much intelligence. All the OGs that I know are telling me, ‘Bro, it’s finished. It’s finished.’ Gang life is finished.
“I know that. I’m not promoting no gangster business. I’m a legit, straight forward hustler. That’s just in my DNA and my blood. But, I know. I’ve taken my street knowledge and put it into the corporate world. And I’ve gained a lot of respect in that sense.”
We have to engage with the youth, and put an end to black youth gang culture. This postcode war. How many houses do we own on that postcode that we’re fighting for? Let’s inject the vaccine.
Every life matters, but that includes black lives. And that’s why we’re here today. George Floyd, we’re all aware of his name, was the catalyst in a list that was already way, way, way too long.
But ask yourself a question, how does the looting for the latest flatscreen TV help him or his family? How does burning down shops and taking another life stop the virus from spreading? And remember the virus we’re talking about is racism.
Killing a person outright is unforgivable, but stripping them of their human rights, oppressing them, mocking them, insulting them, placing glass ceilings above them just because of what? Their skin color? It’s just a slow way of killing them and taking the life out of their soul. We must unite as a human race.
Unfortunately for Joshua, the segment of the speech focusing on the support of black owned businesses has been circulating without context. And that, it seems, has been the source for a lot of backlash against the boxing star. In a message posted to his Twitter account, Joshua made it clear that while he didn’t write the words in question he absolutely stands by the message he delivered.
“I personally spoke from the heart about the watford community,” Joshua added, “ideas of us personally investing 7 figures to create unity and opportunities and adding change to the African / Carribean community.
“Shops aren’t the issue here.
“Before you talk shit you better boycott racism.
“I said what I said and I will act to make change.”