‘You Clap for Me Now’ video urges Britons to remember minority and immigrant key workers’ roles in Covid-19 fight

London CNN — A powerful new video emphasizing the vital role played by key workers from immigrant and ethnic minority backgrounds in keeping Britain running during the coronavirus crisis has gone viral. Originally a poem by content director Darren Smith, “You Clap for Me Now” was turned into a video by his colleague Sachini Imbuldeniya. Smith said that while immigrants to the UK were welcomed in the 1960s, they had recently been treated “as if they were unwanted, unliked and not tolerated.” Smith hailed the outpouring of solidarity and appreciation, such as the 8 p.m. clap in honor of key workers that takes place across the UK every Thursday, and wrote the poem to call for this change in attitude to continue after the outbreak is finished. “I think it’s really important that we do spread this message to try and change those opinions as much as we possibly can, and that is the point of the video,” Imbuldeniya said.