Black Lives Matter:
George Floyd
Ahmaud Arbery
Breonna Taylor
Philando Castile
Tamir Rice
Eric Garner
Freddie Gray
Oscar Grant
Trayvon Martin
Cyntoia Brown
Alton Sterling
Sandra Bland
Michael Brown
Sean Bell
Emmett Till
The list goes on and on.
It’s not business as usual and it won’t be ever again. If you are apart of this community and you follow me on Instagram then you know I’ve been posting a lot about the racial injustices that are happening around the world against Black people and can I be honest with you?
As a black woman, I can recall a few experiences where racism was VERY clear, but would I say that I feel oppressed? No. Am I afraid of white people? No. Do I feel like a victim of racism? No.
This might surprise you but some of my closest friends, people I pray with all the time, call on when I’m stressed out, and who know me very well are actually white and their not the kind of white people who grew up around black ppl…uh-uh they “white-white” okay?
So the reason why I’m speaking out is not that I’m angry or want revenge. I’m not looking for an apology. I really just want this to end. I’m tired of systematic racism, discrimination, and prejudices that keep black people oppressed. I know this issue won’t be healed overnight and I know talking about this might feel uncomfortable for you but we need to have these conversations if we want to see lasting change happen in the world.
This is why I share this with you.
I need YOU to speak up against injustice. I need YOU to use your influence with your friends to teach them why racist jokes aren’t cool. I need YOU to exercise your power and vote against systematic oppression. I need YOU to love and value my life as much as you love and value your own.
I know logically it’s easy to understand that black lives matter and all humans are equal but I need you to live and breathe this. I need you to practice this. I need you to make decisions and judgments that are aligned with this truth.
I share this with you in hopes that we all together would take a look at our own prejudices, racist beliefs, and ways that we contribute to and benefit from the overall structure of racism. I believe that if we examine ourselves and do the work to clean up our junk we can live in a world where there is no racism.
Call me crazy or say it’s impossible, but I know that if we had the power to create this mess and build systems around oppression then we definitely have the power to clean this up!
I love and appreciate you so much goal-getters! Thank you for listening. I hope you hear my heart. Continue to dream big, aim high, and act bold xo.
Tee
PS: If you’re looking for resources to help you start doing the work I’ve included a few movies you can watch below.
- When They See Us
- Fruitvale Station
- 13th
- Time: The Kalief Browder Story
