- My name is Debra Ann Eden
and I accidentally became a meme.
This Is That Story.
Most people know my face from this video.
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It started four years ago.
I live in the Notting Hill community,
quite close to Grenfell Tower.
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The Grenfell fire happened on the 14th of June, 2017.
- [Narrator] With horrifying ferocity
the fire consumed Grenfell Tower in minutes.
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- The volume of lives
that we still don't know the real number,
but the number we were given was 72,
which I think was the households that were burnt to death,
in a most horrific way.
- [Narrator] A 24-floor inferno
from which there was no escape for some.
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- Even now, I don't think anyone's really got over that.
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In the distress of what had happened,
the community just rallied around each other.
Everyone just got their stuff out.
Every towel, every blanket,
whatever you had, to give to survivors.
- The public's help has been overwhelming.
Community, people donating.
- The survivor's story is the most vivid one
because, they haven't had justice to this day.
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(crowd speaking)
Justice4Grenfell became the passion that led
everyone to join that march.
I've always been a teacher and a community person
and have quite a lot of influence in the Notting Hill area.
So it was really important for me
to try and educate the young people around me
to take part in something about getting your voice heard.
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Unfortunately, the media decided that it'd be more fun
to go to these young people who are inexperienced
about whether they were gonna riot and so on and so forth.
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- They neglect the needs of the people
simply because they're poor and because they can.
- I said there was some speeches over there.
Why are you not recording the positive?
Why are you trying to antagonize the young people?
(people shouting)
I said to him, I've already told you
I'm not speaking to you.
So they decide to follow me.
Oh no, you didn't. Who are you following?
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I had to look at them like, are you well?
Didn't I just tell you to stop following me?
(dramatic music)
I actually did give them an interview in the end
which I'm sure they wished they hadn't asked for.
What? - To people being here
so angry. How was the council let this happen?
- Well, why don't you tell me why they're so angry?
What do you think the reason is?
We have to school you without swearing.
Took all my soul.
Why do you think they're here?
Why do you - Clearly people
are upset and angry.
- Well then why ask me a stupid question?
- Hear, hear!
- All my soul, not to disrespect myself
as an angry black woman
but to look articulate and to reflect back to this man
to answer his own stupid question.
You're been insensitive, you're being arrogant,
you're being really quite bad at your job.
(Debra laughs) (upbeat music)
I mean it's humorous because the look fit so many scenarios,
but I'm sure that most of the people
who will be looking at it
may not know what that scenario came from.
You can't see who I'm looking at
which is probably why it's so usable.
(upbeat music)
All across the globe,
I even had a cousin ring me from Canada and she said to me,
"Please tell my husband that you are my cousin."
I was like, Nadine I haven't spoken to you since we were 14.
As it went on,
I actually thought I could see the humor in it.
And then I started to see the jokes attached to it
like, when you hit your mom's in the back of the ankle
with the shopping trolley.
'Cause I have been looked at like that
when I've done some stupid shit like that (laughs),
do you know what I mean?
I think my son got some extent.
He said, "Oh my God, look at this woman."
He's like, you know, that's my mum right?
And then he rang me up and said,
"Mum what have you done?"
I was like, what are you talking about?
He said, "You're everywhere."
It wasn't my best day though.
I mean, I don't normally look that ratchet (laughs).
I've gotta live with that as well.
So I think sometimes people don't recognize me
because I looked so bad that day (laughs).
And now I make it every effort
to try and turn up (laughs).
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I think the issue for me would be this,
the friends and family and people in my community
may not appreciate the fact that there's a joke
attached to something that's quite serious.
I don't think it's ever going away.
I thought it would have been a year later it would go away.
But here we are coming into like the fourth year
and you know, it blows up.
Anytime there's a new joke
that blows up, blows up, blows up.
I will just say that the message behind it
and the moment that it was captioned from
was at Grenfell fire and if you have any interest
in making any kind of charitable donations
please go online and look for The Grenfell Foundation.
For all other information
please visit Grenfell United online
and you'll find out about what's happening now,
forthcoming events and marches,
and updates on the survivor's stories.
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