Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #thisisengland
Most recents (2)
I woke up feeling weirdly emotional about the football. For those of you not following England are in the final of #EURO2020 . Which is massive. And as a Black Londoner it feels... complicated. I want to try and explain why.
There are many of us who grew up in England but were never allowed to feel English. Who see the St George's cross and remember the people who fly it who say we don't belong here. That we should "go home"
Years ago when campaigning for @hopenothate with @krsegal & @RukayahSarumi we were ambushed by the EDL at a train station. A crowd of very angry people who hurled abuse at us and anyone black they saw. They wore the St George's cross on their clothes. Carried it in their hands.
Three Hijabis walk into a bar to watch the Three Lions thrash Ukraine. What an incredible evening and an absolutely brilliant win by a magnificent England team! Well done, lads! A thread on the importance of an anti-racist, inclusive #England ⚽️ team & why #RepresentationMatters 
When I was growing up many, many people and communities of colour would avoid going out when an England match was on due to knowing we weren’t safe and would absolutely be at risk of verbal and physical racism dished out by so called England fans. Sadly this risk still exists.
Even now communities of colour feel this way. Speak to any working class taxi drivers of colour and they will tell you about the racism and abuse many experience after a match inc physical violence.Same goes for many supporters of colour attending England matches, home & abroad.
