No Justice, No Peace
“Change only happens when ordinary people get involved, get engaged, and come together to demand it.”
Honestly, I’m not really sure what to say right now, but I feel that it is my duty to try. How do you succinctly describe the feelings of outrage, fear, confusion, frustration, and sorrow clouding your vision and form your thoughts into something useful? Not to mention the seemingly contradictory emotions like pride and excitement at seeing the way people across the country are fed up and fighting back. I’m pissed but that’s nothing new. I’ve been pissed for awhile. But it’s nice to feel some relief knowing I’m not the only one...
I remember the night Trump was elected. I remember it vividly. My mind raced through the fives stages of grief in record motions and I cried hopeless tears for the sheer injustice of it, the way I felt so small against the wall of hatred that seemed to be pressing in. I cried, I called friends and family, and then I got angry. And without another moment’s hesitation I made my way to Union Square to join the protests and I screamed. I walked alone into a crowd of absolute strangers and before long we were all one; shouting the same message, feeling the same emotions, standing up against the same horror of a world that seemed to hate us.
I also remember attending the Black Lives Matter protest in NYC following Mike Brown’s murder in Ferguson. It was bitterly cold, my hands were going numb, but I marched alongside this massive crowd as we moved along 5th Avenue towards Washington Square Park and I took photo after photo trying to capture the essence of what this meant. It’s impossible to capture the feeling of being in that wave of people, all working towards a single goal, battling for a better world. It was the first protest of that scale I’d ever attended, though it sure as hell wasn’t my last, and it felt incredible.
I wish I could do that now. It has been six years since I marched in New York with hundreds of thousands, feeling the collective strength. And it feels like nothing at all has changed. I wish I was on the streets with those crowds I’m seeing on my screen in cities across the nation. I want to be marching with them. Instead I’ve been feeling a bit helpless. But what I can do in this moment is try to spread awareness using the resources I do have. I want to lend my voice to the collective uproar, be it literally or digitally.
Because in Trump’s world, women are objects, children are packed into cages, proven facts are thrown aside for blatant propaganda, and innocent black men and women are murdered outright with no justice. But it’s too easy to blame Trump. What is so jarring about Trump is that he has simply brought to the surface, in a morbidly comedic way, the fact that we as a society have barely progressed past the discovery that the earth is round. And while he’s undoubtedly a moron who incites violence and encourages rampant misinformation, what’s happening now is much bigger than that inane toddler could ever comprehend.
What’s happening now runs deep. Our country was founded and built on the weary backs of generations of minorities. Scratch that. Our entire global system was built on inequality. Capitalism cannot exist—and certainly cannot thrive—without inequality. And unfortunately, entire groups of people have been subjugated so thoroughly to maintain this inequality that their oppressors question their very rights as human beings. Racism isn’t new. Racism is ingrained at every level of society, from the education to the prison system, from sea to shining sea. You cannot call America great without choosing to ignore its bloodied history and refusing to acknowledge its still bloody present.
As a woman, I undoubtedly have some insight into oppression. However, I could never feign to understand the oppression felt by persons of color as it is perhaps one of the most enduring throughout human history. It’s a fear for simply existing. And that fear has been thoughtfully and brutally engineered by generations of white men against generations of any group seen as the “other.” It’s a fear that is meant to maintain the power imbalance and which permeates into the psyche of every single human on this planet. That fear is built into the very fabric of our thoughts, without many of us even realizing it. It certainly did not begin with the American founding fathers, but when they sat down to outline the ideals this country was founded upon, you can be sure their foremost interest was in defending and maintaining their own status of power. When they said all men are created equal, most of them did not consider women or people of color to fall into that category—they meant “all white land-owning men are created equal.” Our very constitution, which is held aloft with such pride by many Americans, is exclusionary by design. The question now is what can we do to change things? It’s going to take a lot of work, it’s not going to happen overnight, but it’s absolutely and with no doubt in my mind worth the fight.
As a white person, I enjoy an incredible amount of privilege for things that may seem so commonplace you would not think twice about them. I can interact with cops without fear of being murdered (#GeorgeFloyd). I can go for a run in the broad daylight (#AhmaudArbery). I can relax in the comfort of my own home (#AtatianaJefferson). I can walk to the corner store for a snack (#TrayvonMartin). I can do so many things without a second thought that, were my skin color different, I would have to fear.
If you are a person of color, I stand with you in solidarity. If you are white, I call on you to do the same. By remaining silent, you remain part of the problem.
I recognize my privilege and I want to actively engage anyone reading this to do the same. It is our duty to stand up for the black community. It is our duty to educate ourselves on these issues so that we might come to a greater understanding. It is our duty to work together to dismantle the systematic white supremacy that exists in the United States and around the world. It is our duty to contribute meaningfully to make our world a better place. Whether that be monetary support for the cause, sharing information to your community, sparking a discussion, speaking up when you see injustice occur, or grabbing a sign and protesting on the streets, it is our duty to do what we can.
What we need is action. We need policies to change. We need those in positions of power to be held accountable. We need to demand change. And we need to sustain that action.
There is so much more I could say, but for now I’ll leave you with this…
Here are some things you can do right now to get started:
1. Donate
Donate directly to the Black Lives Matter movement here.
Donate to a bail fund. Check out this crowd sourced Google Doc for an ever-growing list.
2. Educate
Some online resources to learn more about racism:
Some books to read now about racism:
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide by Carol Anderson
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo
3. Speak up
Sign a petition like this one or this one which call for justice.
4. Vote
When it comes time to do so, we must be active in voting for representation that will incite positive change.
Further, we as consumers cast a vote every single time we shop. By choosing brands that support anti-racism and by boycotting those which have remained silent, we are showing companies that we put our money where our mouth is. In capitalism, where the bottom line matters more than anything, this is an important way to make yourself heard.
I would also encourage you to participate in Blackout Day 2020, which will happen on July 7. Mark your calendar, set an alert on your phone, be sure to buy anything you might need ahead of time. The concept is simple—a nationwide boycott of all businesses except those which are black-owned. This includes banks, grocery stores, hair salons, and all forms of commerce.
5. Share
Don’t be silent! Use your social media to share information for the cause. Repost articles that can lead to meaningful discussions. Share videos of the protests. Share links to donation pages. We can be most effective with those directly connected to us.