for shukri,

because black girls shouldn't have to cower away in fear of going to school. black girls shouldn't have to deal with people that will allow them to be humiliated time and time again. black girls do not deserve excuses after they are dead and buried. black girls do not deserve what they did to you. what they do to people like you. people from far away places looking for new homes, new faces, new chances.

you did not deserve being pushed out onto the street whilst the lights were still red. you did not deserve being ridiculed for no reason other than being an outsider amongst insiders. you did not deserve to be shoved and pushed around the locker room and have no one defend you. you did not deserve to die drowning in a river and have no one look further into your case. you did not deserve to spend your last moments with someone laughing as you drowned. you did not deserve the police coming to your mother and being completely heartless when telling her the news.

when we say black lives matter it's because of incidents like these and because history keeps repeating itself. it's because our blood keeps being spilt and the ones in power refuse to see the loss of life, the loss of potential. when we protest and raise our voices, it's because the world shuts us out and the news does a poor job of getting the truth around.

she was twelve years old. let that sink in. she was bullied constantly by other kids, and because of that she probably did things she didn't want to – like maybe getting into the river that day because she wanted to fit in. or not. she could have been pushed in. she could have been lead-in and then left to drown. these are all versions of the story that have come out, but yet the case remains closed.

it's been almost a year since she died, but we still need to have these discussions. discussions of POC treatment, of schools doing a poor job of supporting students, of bullying – which is a huge issue in the UK, and i am tired of seeing it being excused until it's too late. especially when it comes to minorities. but if nothing else, i hope to prompt progress with my work and my words.

other than that, please do sign petitions demanding justice for her family, donate, spread the word, and i really hope that you find comfort and strength in the story i am about to begin.

#JUSTICEFORSHUKRI