Silence

Like many people in our nation and around the world, my heart hurts for the many individuals who have lost their lives simply for being black. These murders represent the worst of what our country is and yet are not entirely surprising given our long history of treating people of color as if they are “less than” white people. White people have used various justifications over the years for these warped beliefs, but the reasons don’t matter, really. Because the result was, has been, and continues to be that black people are disproportionately targeted for mistreatment by individuals, by employers, and by the law. From implicit bias to discriminatory hiring and promotion practices to laws that tend to punish offenses that affect the black community harsher than others, racism is a systemic problem. So, while I am appalled by the flagrant murder of George Floyd, I am sad to say I am not entirely surprised. I have chosen to remain silent on the issue so far because what is happening right now is not about me. It’s about the lives we most recently lost and the change that has been sorely needed in our country for a long time. To that end, I dedicate this post to the following individuals—and the many, many more whose names should also be on this list—and their families, friends, and communities, whose deaths were heart-wrenching reminders that we as a country need to actually act like black lives matter—because they do.

Love

As we collectively mourn these deaths, rally for change, and grapple with what comes next, I’m reminded of this quote:

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

― Martin Luther King Jr., A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches

The cure for hate is love. But how can we show love for our black brothers and sisters who have struggled so hard and come so far, only to find themselves senselessly slaughtered? I’m sorry but I don’t have the answer and I don’t have the right to tell anyone how to feel in these times. All I can say is that compassion, kindness, understanding, and love are the pathways that will lead us forward. The solidarity shown by those who are protesting is inspiring to me. Rather than focus on the few who are rioting, I want to focus on the love that I see. I see people from all walks of life, different races, different religions, different cultures, and different economic levels pulling together to show support and love. And it’s a beautiful thing. I see police officers and politicians kneeling together with the protesters in a show of their willingness to listen and one day, rise again together as one human family. No mother or father, brother, sister, or friend should ever have to watch a loved one be taken away by an act of race-driven violence. I reject the narrative that tells us to focus on the riots and instead choose to look at the faces in the crowds all over the world as evidence of the love and compassion that is so very needed in this country and in this world.

Change

Former President Obama said it way better than I ever will in his statement this past week, but here is what I heard: let’s convert these raw emotions of love and of outrage into real change. Let us get to the root of the problem and pull together as a society to take meaningful corrective action. To do that, we must vote. Let me say it again for those in the back who may not have heard me:

VOTE!!!!!

Walk the walk in November. In 2000, George W. Bush defeated Al Gore by 537 votes. 537. Anytime you think your vote doesn’t matter, remember that. If you have the privilege of voting in this coming election, even if you don’t “feel like” voting for yourself, then, please, vote for those who can’t. Vote for George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery and every other black person who has been murdered for being black. Vote for the people who were stripped of their right to vote by laws that disproportionately target and penalize black individuals. Vote—because the politicians you put in office—with your voice or your silence—not only make the laws, they often install the judges who interpret those laws. Protest. Mourn. Speak out. Then vote.