Black People Are Tired, but WHAT can black (AND WHITE) people do?
I know black people are tired of . . . . . of dying. And to die because you were sleeping while black is definitely out of line. They are so many scenarios I could mention, but of course that would take up a whole page. We unfortunately often hear about black men being the target, but when Breonna Taylor's story hit the media people were shook. However, this is definitely not the first time a black woman has been a casualty. There have been several over the past years, but sadly we don't hear enough about them. Every year so many black girls go missing, and too many black women die from police violence. We suffer these violent crimes, but it seems like we're invisible to the media, and sometimes even to our own community. We need to say her name. We need to say all of their names.
Exhausted.
Say her name.
“White Silence is Violence”
And let’s not forget everything else going on in recent news. As of May 26th 2020, another black man dead at the hands of the police, George Floyd. Another black man fell victim to the tragedy known as senseless-conniving- white fear, Christian Cooper. He could have lost his life or went to jail. As a mother, can I truly protect my black son from a society that hates him? With so much anxiety filling the hearts of many, we must find a way to channel this energy into something meaningful. I try to ask myself what I have I done today to help our people; even if it’s just small tips to others or signing a petition. Our voices are progress, but are they enough? The truth is we need clear leadership and structure.
How can we as black people mobilize?
What would Malcolm, Nelson, Martin, Marcus, Angela, or Kwame do?
Is social media an illusion masking the inevitable transiency of our problems?
Sharing a traumatic video on social media is not enough. I’m also not sure if it’s beneficial to progress, especially if it’s only black people who care. The truth is we need white allies to win if we have any chance at thriving in the United States of America. But all I hear is crickets on my timeline. Some do speak out, but it’s few and far between. They have the privilege of being unbothered. In fact, most other non-black people have that privilege. Where is the global uproar and sensationalism for these crimes against humanity? We need to shift the conversation from only being about racism towards being about human rights. After all, black people are human.
This video contains a lot of black parenting tips, especially for raising black boys. With the recent killing of Ahmaud Arbery, I know a lot of people maybe be even more nervous about how to parent. You are not alone.
Even though I mention a lot of simple next action steps, ultimately will we need legislation or a big move back to Africa? There are laws in place, but perhaps they aren’t adequate. If you are not a part of any community organizations or local government, then maybe you are doing the least. What are your thoughts? What do we need to do next in order to prevent this from happening? Please chime in below.