It is with a heavy heart that I write this post. Rest In Peace George Floyd and the many others. I am sure that you have noticed my silence since his murder. Having watched the entire video it has been extremely hard to find the right words to say. At this point making our black fathers, mothers, sisters, and brothers a hashtag is not enough. A simple “Black Lives Matter” post is not enough. It just is not enough for me.
One of our own is senselessly murdered by a police officer. We turn them into a hashtag and then protest for a few days/weeks. A cycle that must come to an end. I understand the pain of my people. I am hurting and tired too. I am angry and fed up too. Although I do not agree with all of the rioting and looting, I am understanding of the fact that something needs to be done. That change has to happen. It has taken me a moment to speak out because I see how much pain the black community is in and it is extremely important that we come together and lean on each other. We are ticking time bombs with five seconds left and some of us do not care who may become collateral damage.
There are social media posts that have us arguing with each other over the looting and rioting that has been happening all over the United States and it deeply saddens me. As previously mentioned, I do not agree with certain aspects of some of the protest going on either but that is not grounds for argument. It is as if you are criticizing people who are trying, for the method they have chosen but are not offering them a different solution or method. If you fall in this category, find other ways to support the black community and those who have allied with us to put an end to the injustices, systemic oppression and racism. You do not have to riot or loot.
Some Other Ways To Help/Support:
- Shop at Black Owned Businesses
- Official Black Wall Street
- Buy From A Black Woman
- You can even search the following hashtags: shopblackowned , buyblack, blackownedbusinesses, etc. on instagram.
- Sign Petitions
- Defund The Police “We call for an end to the systemic racism that allows this culture of corruption to go unchecked and our lives to be taken. We call for a national defunding of police. We demand investment in our communities and the resources to ensure Black people not only survive, but thrive.” Click the link to find out more about the petition/sign it.
- Mandatory Life Sentence for Police Brutality “The punishment of losing your job or going on administrative leave for brutally killing someone does not fit the crime. There needs to be criminal charges brought against any officer that believes they have the power to be judge, jury, and executioner on the spot! Even if a crime is committed or someone resists arrest, that person still deserves to see their day in court.” Click the link to find out more about the petition/sign it.
- Educate yourself
- Find a List of Black Owned Independent Bookstores here
- Instagram Post: 8 Lessons That Were Helpful To Me As A White Person
- “So You Want to Talk About Race” by Ijeoma Oluo
- “The New Jim Crow” by Michelle Alexander’s
- YouTube Video: Systemic Racism Explained
- “Chokehold: Policing Black Men” by Paul Butler
- “Mindful of Race: Transforming Racism from the Inside Out” by Ruth King
- Time: The Kalief Browder Story on Netflix
- 13th on Netflix
** There are many other ways, organizations, books, videos, petitions and etc**
I have seen the photo floating around on social media that basically says that we have tried protesting in many ways and have been told every time that “this isn’t the way.” While that is nothing short of the truth I believe we need to re-evaluate the ways we have protested and tried speaking out. We must figure out what it is about those methods that did not work. Looking back the first thing I noticed is that we have acted on emotion every time.
“We are not outnumbered, we are out organized”
It isn’t until we receive a new hashtag that we take action. As a result, we quickly experience burnout and therefore our biggest issue is that our fight lacks longevity. While this does seem like a great start, being as though so many more people have come forward in and ready to fight against the injustices, we must continue to do the work even after the emotions ignited in us due to George Floyds unfortunate murder have subsided. We must become more organized if we want to win this war. Not more violent, more organized.
For now that is all I have on the topic. I am doing my best to support and fight with my people by taking actions that align with who I am currently. I will continue to educate myself and those around me with hopes of one day being able to offer more organized methods and solutions. Until then, I guess we will continue to fight the best way we know how.
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