THOUSANDS OF people across the UK and USA have taken to the streets marching in protest at the recent inhumane deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and more recently George Floyd in the USA.

Among those marching in the UK (which also has a history of systemic racism – the Stephen Lawrence, Windrush and BAME Covid-19 inquiries being just a few examples) were creative artists Jermaine and Danielle Wong. 

The 40-year olds are founders of Final Call Productions – a faith-based theatre and film production company that seeks to inspire, engage, encourage and inform its audiences through drama, theatre, film and poetry. 

Explaining why he felt the need to march Jermaine said: “I marched in solidarity of those who are hurting, in protest against the selfish mindset that devalues human life, particularly black lives.”

Jermaine, a former school head of drama in South London and a multiple award winning spoken word artist is a frequent performer in schools, churches and the spoken word scene.

Last year’s staging of his play And There Was War – which depicts the spiritual battle between good and evil on earth from Biblical times to the present day – packed the seats of The Broadway Theatre in Catford and received rave reviews, attracting the likes of lead actor from Blue Story – Stephen Odubola – himself a former drama student of Jermaine and also Kara-Leah Fernandes who plays Bailey in BBC’s Eastenders, who said: “It inspired me and got me thinking about what happened in heaven before me!”

For Jermaine, the solution to the current highly politicized and systemic racial injustice being experienced in both the USA and the UK lies closer to home: “Selfishness is at the heart and core of all negative human “isms.” “Practical “other-centred” Love is the only solution that will combat this.”

Jermaine’s poems are often hard hitting yet always with the view to reach out to those looking for hope and inspiration amidst the bleakness of life and in his latest poem – Red Porridge – an ode in remembrance of George Floyd there is no exception.

Filmed by Ashley Bloom and produced by Danielle Wong, Jermaine reflects on the events currently overshadowing the US and UK bringing home the message that during times when such inhumane atrocities happen, the community must come together, take a stand and end the silence by making their voices heard against injustice in all its forms.

“We’re at a place in history where the loss of precious human lives is discussed as easily as talking about what one had for breakfast,” said Jermaine.

He added: “Red Porridge is my attempt to bring focus to the value of human life and highlight the solution to the human curse of “selfishness” by presenting an angle of “Other-centred” Love through the lens of Christ’s suffering.”

For more information on Final Call Productions visit: www.finalcallproductions.com