Despite the overt displays of racism that have overtaken the world at large, I’m choosing to focus on the togetherness this has all fostered. I received an email from a MESSenger that read, “White woman ally here, I want to fight for you!” I chuckled as I thought, look at a “Karen” ready to fight for little ole’ me. While it’s clear that racial divide is what brought us to this painfully low place in society, unity is what will pull us out. The loss of life of our brothers and sisters, George Floyd, Ahmad Arbery, Breonna Taylor and countless others, has shaken the room and brought the conversation of racism to the forefront for everyone to bear witness.
Racism is no longer the uncomfortable elephant in the room that shows up in our daily lives as microaggression and backhanded compliments. It’s out in the open, plastered on our cellular devices and embedded in our national government; the stench can’t be ignored. There isn’t a distraction large enough to sway us from the issue at hand. The blatant loss of life and systemic racism can’t be swept under the rug anymore and to be quite frank, it’s about time we clean this MESS up. I read a story the other night of a mother whose son was shot at for three entire minutes. Three. WHOLE. Minutes. That may be longer than it takes you to read this email. Her poor baby's body was riddled with over 70 bullets at the hands of the police. Serve and protect?
It may sound crazy of me to say this, but I still feel optimistic even though everything is being burned to the ground as I type this MESSage. I don’t think anything should go back to normal. Normal wasn’t working. As much as we may want to run from this admission, many of us have grown numb to the racial injustices that we as a people experience everyday. The names in the headlines were becoming a daily occurrence and the trauma porn that was paraded across our timelines never became anything more than a hashtag. Our movements were barely moving or making strides for the change we deserve.
While it took everything that black people had in us to give to bring us to this place, I have always been a firm believer that there is no better place to rebuild than rock bottom. I don’t believe that looting and shooting is the answer, but it seemed as if more black bodies dying was the alternative. When the smoke and dust clears, and the racists have to look at what they’ve caused and lay in the beds they’ve created I look forward to the maintained unity that I have seen demonstrated from ALL walks of life. So to my white woman-ally and the many on the front lines, put your gear on and prepare for a fight!
This MESSage is dedicated to the ones fighting for US. Thank you for listening, and allowing yourself to unlearn many decades of what was taught, instilled and blatantly not right. We are ready for change.
oppotok
March 29, 2021