Peace

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In these times, what can we do?

Infiltrate communities that do not regularly suffer the indignities of being black or suffer the psychological suffocation of not being able to bring up injustices because it makes others feel uncomfortable.

We must be more than non-racist.  We must be anti-racist.

It will take courage.

Non-black friends may not want to hear it.  We must stay strong, this is a larger fight.

Let go of cowardice. It builds character.

We can be the best allies by using privilege to be openly and overtly anti-racist.

We must call out and combat injustice whenever it is seen, even if it makes one unpopular with friends.

Why do people riot?

Sometimes it may be because we are broke, angry, unheard, and reacting to pain.

I would suggest, if a man who just found out the rapist of his daughter just got off and will not be arrested, he may go after said rapist and try to strangle the person.

This may not be the best way for him to protest, but I think we would cut him some slack. We would not tell him at that time, that this is not the most productive way to gain justice.  For those not having to live with his pain, we would cut him some slack.

Also, sometimes when you kneel, when you bring up these issues in non-violent protests, they still kill your children with impunity.  There were signs 40 years ago in protests that said ‘stop killing black people‘.

When you are unheard, you may scream, you may riot.

No justice, no peace.

Many people get to WALK by egregious and small acts of racism every day.  Others have to LIVE with egregious and small acts of racism and injustice every day.

Makes you wanna holler!

Also, some times when people ask ‘why do you RIOT?’, it is because they really want you to be QUIET.  You bringing up all that racism stuff is uncomfortable for me.  People try to find a way to distract and end the conversation.

Please shut up and suffer in silence so that I can go about living my comfortable, racism-free life. It is this apathy that allows injustice and racism to continue. We ALL must stand up and say that no one should have to suffer racism and injustice in silence.  It is unfair to ask people to suffer racism, injustice, and killings in silence so that other people can have Sunday Brunch in peace.  

We cannot ask people to live with the hopelessness that injustice, racism, and killing is ‘just another Wednesday‘ in their lives.

This moment can be transformational for all of us, not EASY, but transformational. There is an urgency of NOW.

What gives me faith in the promise of America is that it seems that those 10-16 year-olds of all colors and faiths seem to understand.  They do not equivocate.  Racism and injustice exist. Racism is wrong. #Blacklifematters. #Nojusticenopeace.