How has racism changed since you first became an activist?
I was born into segregation in the South and I couldn’t borrow library books, or skate on the same ice rink as white people, or vote in national elections. We won that battle. My parents fought in World War Two but they weren’t treated as equals, and we won that battle. We are a better nation because of it. We won the battle against apartheid in South Africa. All this gives me hope – but the battle is not over. We still have gross inequalities. Police profiling means that black and Asian people are seven times more likely to be stopped and searched. Banks are still profiling and hype up lending fees because of the zip code you live in. We have to fight racism wherever it exists, be it the police, healthcare or in the banks.
