Diversity delivers a powerful performance inspired by 2020s global affairs on BGT
Diversity (dance troupe) delivered a powerful performance inspired by the global affairs of 2020: The coronavirus, Black Lives Matter, and the quest for a unified world.
Diversity dancers Ashley Banjo, Perri Kelly, Jordan Banjo, Ike Chuks, Ashton Russel and more, performed on Britain’s Got Talent stage, a British favourite ITV show. Ashley opened the performance by reciting a viral poem The Great Realisation by the singer Tomfoolery, which reflects back the current, digital, distanced and isolated consequences of the pandemic. The poem and performance evolved to highlight another virus that has permeated societies systems, which has ironically made it hard for black people to breath. Racism.
The group then narrated the death of George Floyd who died May 25th after US police officer Derek Chauvin blocked his airways by kneeling on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Despite him being irresponsive 4 minutes prior with bystanders begging the officers to check his pulse.
The All LiVeS MaTTeR crew; or if you prefer, racists, of course, stood up for their ‘rights’ to not see societies reflection during primetime Saturday night TV. How appalling?! They just want to enjoy their tea and escape! Ofcom have received thousands of complaints after the thought-provoking interpretation. Here is an example of a complaint below:
@ITV @BGT My Ofcom compaint pic.twitter.com/XhbbbuZWmu
— Linzi (@dyslexicNews) September 8, 2020
Jordan Banjo spoke about the harsh reaction he and his fellow dancers have received during an appearance on Kiss FM on Wednesday morning where he became very emotional.
He began: "Of course you get some critiques but normally it's focused on the dance.
"But this one was different, it was really important, it was special to us. We are all about positivity and love and we got so much positivity and love back from this one.
"But we also got bombarded with messages and articles of horrible stuff about us, about our families, about how even now Diversity not diverse enough because there's only five white people in it."
Jordan's voice then began to crack as he became overwhelmed with emotion: "I can't speak for anyone else it's sad, it's sad, genuinely.
"I feel really anxious and worried saying something like black lives matter when that's all we want man, love and positivity.
"No one is saying only black lives matter, as a son and as a dad, I look at Pel [Perri] and I just.. it's all positivity and love, let's keep it moving."
A chocked up Jordan then had to cut short his link as he became too upset to speak.