Hi friends, families, colleagues and strangers alike,

It is with a heavy heart that I write this post and an even heavier heart that I am led to action. I have been taking time to pore over the recent events that have been taking place in America, the most recent being the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, and I have been moved by the outcry of so many globally, protesting and calling for justice. So much so that I know I must also do something, anything, to raise awareness and contribute in my own way, to this ongoing injustice.

As a black woman, watching in horror the overt oppression faced by other black people, I know there is no room any longer to make our experiences palatable for others. Though these visible atrocities appear to be taking place across the pond, a degree of these acts continue to take place each and every day to black people right here in the UK.

When I think of my own experience I am brought to tears at how much I have endured and how I have normalised my experiences and my feelings. In the 16 years I have lived in my particular area, I have had various items thrown at me within a 5 minute distance from my doorstep, I have had racial slurs shouted at me as the perpetrators drove by, and uncountable microaggressions directed at me in the various institutions I've been in and conversations I've been a part of. Each time, I accepted this as the way things were and assigned such behaviour as being a result of ‘living in a racist area’ or sheer ignorance. But that is not good enough.

Most who know me, know how much I enjoy travelling. My experiences of racism are not limited to where I live. It is a rarity for me to travel without experiencing racism in some form or having to strongly consider where it is I choose to travel due to how I might be treated there, and how that may affect my experience. How wild is that? But I refuse to let this deter me from seeing and experiencing all that this world has to offer me. So again I say, this is not good enough!

Though I am black, I remain aware of the privilege I, myself, hold in being able to go for a jog without being fearful of being shot at. I may face a number of other forms of abuse but I cannot say I have ever feared being shot at while innocently jogging. This was not the fate of Ahmaud Arbery- a 25 year old black man who was shot and killed while jogging in his neighbourhood, after being pursued by white men.

It is with that humbling piece of knowledge that this month I will be stepping out of my comfort zone and attempting to run 100K over the course of the month to continue to raise awareness and fundraise for black communities and causes. This June I will be #JoggingForJustice because #BlackLivesMatter and #IrunwithMaud.

This is not a message we should ever get tired of hearing. We should not look away because we feel uneasy or uncomfortable. It simply is not enough 'not to be racist', we must be actively ANTI-RACIST and ANTI-RACISM, whether overt or systemic. If you stand with me in the belief that ALL black lives matter, always has and always will, then please support me in this by donating to my cause.

I will continue to update you all on each of my runs by posting below following each run!

God bless,

Abi

All proceeds will go towards Belly Mujinga's family and the Black Lives Matter movement.

You can find more information about Ahmaud Arbery at: https://www.runwithmaud.com/

Sign the Justice for Ahmaud petition here: http://chng.it/zKnrzrqd98

More details on BLM can be found here: www.blacklivesmatter.com

Belly Mujinga's gofundme page can be founf here: www.gofundme.com/f/rip-belly-mujinga

The petition to secure protection and support for those working at GTR as Belly should have can be found here: www.change.org/p/govia-thameslink-justice-for-belly-mujinga-justiceforbellymujinga