Hi guys and welcome back! This week has been one of a very somber mood, as I am sure you have all seen the story of George Floyd and how he was murdered in broad daylight by the police (because if you are a bystander in the face of injustice you are also a perpetrator). I am also sure that some you understand why the protests are occurring and why there is an uprising but if you do not understand, or choose to live in ignorance then let me sum it up for you.
These protests are not occurring because people want to protest for fun, these protests are not taking place because people are bored. People are protesting because ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. Black people around the world, but more specifically in the US have faced many years of violence, abuse, and lack of human rights. When the Civil Rights movement happened Martin Luther King and the other founding fathers of the movement, believed that peaceful protesting would bring about change- change came but it did not mean black people would be free to be themselves and many of the parents, and children who grew up during the Civil Rights era, hoped that my generation of young black people would no longer be victims of racism, violence, and murder. However, since the beginning of the 2010s, we have seen countless cases where this dream and hope for freedom has just remained what it has always been a dream.
However, this year the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and, countless others in the past have sparked a catalyst and a stronger drive for social change. Also, seeing people of different races, cultures, and ethnicities co-exist does not mean discrimination and hatred does not reside. As the names of the victim mentioned above are examples of how you can be murdered and profiled based on your skin.
Also saying to a group of people who faced years of systematic oppression that if you listen to the rules and abide by the rules then nothing will happen is a dumb statement, a harmful ideology, and ridiculous ideology. We have seen many times that the rules change according to the persons' skin color and that the rules do not apply to every race and ethnicity. These rules do not apply to black women or black men and that has been seen in the case of Sandra Bland in 2015 and countless others whose stories have not been told or scraped under the carpet.
As I have highlighted the reasons why people are protesting, the reason why black people are protesting, I will be listing a few ways that you guys can help in the fight for change and social justice because saying things like "I love black people", "I have black friends", "My great, however many great-grandmothers ago was black" or " I am not racist" is not enough in bringing about social change.
1) Sign petitions:
Overall, petitions are a great way to bring about change in society and be used as a tool for the voiceless. Here are few that you can sign:
- www.justiceforbigfloyd.
- https://www.change.org/p/mayor-jacob-frey-justice-for-george-floyd
2) Make donations:
Here are some websites where you can donate to during these times. These donations will go towards bailing out the protesters who have been arrested and won't have enough bail money, they will also go towards supporting George Floyd's family during this time and will also help non-profit organizations continue the push for social change.
- https://minnesotafreedomfund.org/donate
- https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd
- https://blacklivesmatter.com
- https://colorofchange.org
3) Educate yourselves:
For equality to become a true reality rather than a current illusion, it is important to educate yourself on the experiences of other races and understand the 'Why' behind peoples outrage. Through understanding the experiences of other races and in this current climate of black people then it becomes easier to understand each other and work together. Instead of avoiding one another. The discussion of race is a sensitive subject for many to discuss but for change to occur we need to talk about it so that we can understand why people's experiences make them navigate differently through society. These are some recommended books to read:
- Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge
- Me and White Supremacy by Layla F Saad
- White fragility by Robin Diangelo
4) Talk to family and friends:
It can be difficult to discuss certain topics such as race with your peers especially if you've never interacted with people from other races. However, it is important to address your loved ones when they spew out hatred for other races based on ignorance. I know it can be hard especially if people are set in their ways but discussing sensitive issues such as race will help begin to see things in a different light, educate themselves and change their perceptions. So don't be afraid to discuss difficult topics it may be fearful to discuss but it is one of the many ways in which change can begin to occur.
5) Listen to people's experiences:
If you are someone who has friends from different races, nationalities and ethnic backgrounds. Listen to them when they tell you about their experiences do not mitigate their story just because you've never experienced what they have or never walked the path that they have. Listen to them and try to help them out in the face adversity. Also if you are a white person and you do have friends of different races particularly black friends, call them and encourage them during this difficult time and if they want to speak to you about their experience with racism or discrimination just listen to them because a lot of us just wish people could listen to us without minimizing our experiences.
6) If you have privilege USE IT:
This quite self-explanatory, but if you see someone being mistreated because of their race or socio-economic class become a voice for them in the face of adversity. And when you use your privilege to stand up for people especially minorities only then can social change can happen And only then will we be able to move towards equality.
Finally, this blogpost is more so about highlighting, why people are protesting and why people especially black people feel that society has not changed or that their experiences are not that different from their grandparents. Sure we live in a tolerant society and people have become more accepting of other races living on their land. But tolerating something or someone does not you fully accept the person or the thing. A utopian society will never be a full reality. But we can work towards a society and a world that accepts, not tolerates, but accepts people because of their differences.
I'll also be editing this post and adding links to articles you can read.
- The Breonna Taylor Case: https://www.nytimes.com/article/breonna-taylor-police.html
- The Trayvon Martin Case: https://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/25/justice/florida-zimmerman-5-things/index.html?iid=article_sidebar
- The George Floyd Case: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-52861726
I hope you enjoyed this post and were able to take something away from this.
PEACE X LOVE,
KerenLMendes
#blacklivesmatter #justiceforgeorgefloyd
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