Today is a new day but the injustice and tragedy continues.
Yesterday, lots of white people got upset with me for sharing a post that asked why they (white people) aren't saying anything about humans who are black being killed yet are outraged and outspoken about the lion's death. Many who balked described feeling "grouped" and "stereotyped" and felt the need to clarify #NotAllWhitePeople are acting that way. They spoke vigorously on their own behalf about how those grouping words hurt their feelings, and that effort seemed to trump the need to speak with such fervor on behalf of people of color who are being grouped into oppressive institutions and death.
Thankfully there were also allies present who got the point and commented, shared the article, or simply clicked 'like'. They didn't demand that I acknowledge their ally-ship or make a special effort to exclude them from "white people" when calling out the apathy. Some even were so vulnerable as to share their own misconceptions, failings, and learning in being an ally. A few acknowledged the pain of constantly facing this kind of opposition to my existence and safety in the world. These allies hearts have already been wounded by the ongoing suffering of people who look like me. For that I am grateful!
I'm sharing this video in hopes that another heart is pricked or broken... that somewhere people see the inhumanity of how we're being treated. Maybe someone will realize how damaging it must be to repeatedly watch people who look like your family and friends end up dead after a missing license plate or failure to signal. Maybe instead of criticizing me in my frantic desperation stay alive, you'll refocus your energy on doing something about the society that threatens my existence? If talking about my experience as a BLACK person is threatening and offending to you maybe you'll choose to ignore and unfollow me until I'm a hashtag or a statistic - that might let you sleep better at night or feel better about your good works.
Do I matter to you as much as you matter to you? Does 'love thy neighbor as you love yourself' extend to me? Do #BlackLivesMatter(too)?
This work of racial justice isn't going to be easy or instant. "Getting past this" means the foundations of our society will have to be shifted - I don't expect that overnight. What is essential to me is that people in large numbers are hearing (and feeling) the pain of the oppressed - it's only then that people work for change to happen. None of us has all the answers, but we can work through all of it together.
Please ask more questions and read more books. Please agitate the apathetic. Please show up where there's injustice. My life depends on it.
#SaySomething #DoSomething #AlliesMatter
