Showing Up
Let me preface by saying that there is A LOT to say. I feel like the best metaphor is an overstuffed suitcase. A traveler continues to shove more clothes, items, souvenirs and paperwork into the suitcase until the zipper can't close, it tears at the seams, and because it can, the wheels fall off. Now the traveler can no longer carry the weight; they must confront what was couldn't be contained.
The forum has opened up once again to discuss racism and its effects. Implicit bias. Police reform. Police disbandment. Conspiracy theories and set-ups. Protest rights. Peaceful protests. Riots. Performances. Looting. Violence. Police violence. Violent protests. Privilege. Challenge the system. Supporting Black-[insert profession]. Speaking up and speaking OUT against racist remarks, jokes and insults. Donating. Exclusion. D&I Initiatives. Show up. Allyship. White Ally. Government corruption. Voting. Virtue-signaling. Bootstrap theory. Hashtags. Where have you been this whole time? Selfie black square selfie. Sign this petition. You should be posting. You shouldn't be posting. Repost upon repost. Exhaustion. Ask Black people how they feel. Don't ask Black people how they feel. Take care of yourself. Don't make it about yourself. Things will never be normal. You don't know the whole story. What about the loss of business? BLM.
These are the messages going through every form of media, including social media, and probably uttered at least some point over the last month, but definitely two weeks since the murder (yes murder) of George Floyd.
The purpose of this post is NOT to tell you how to think, feel or digest. There are plenty of articles, segments, posts and people in your life to tell you these things....which is why, it is up to you.
It's up to you to speak out against racist remarks, jokes and insults.
It's up to you to donate.
It's up to you to protest.
It's up to you to sign a petition.
It's up to you to vote.
It's up to you to educate yourself on the policies that are and were in place to disenfranchise Black people and POC. (I say it like this because while segregation is overturned, how does it continue to perpetuate?)
It's up to you to read, watch movies and listen to music written, created, directed, produced and star Black and POC individuals, as well as questioning white-washing, majority rules and stereotypes.
It's up to you to check your own bias and challenge it.
It's up to you to support businesses owned by Black people and POC.
It's up to you to engage in community projects and initiatives.
It's up to you to challenge the status quo- in your personal, social and professional life.
It's up to you to tune into your family and friends and see how they're doing 99% of the time.
It's up to you how you post on your social media channels.
It's up to you how to raise your children.
It's up to you how to use language and understand the gravity of words.
It's up to you to say Black Lives Matter with integrity.
It's up to you to check in on your feelings, process your thoughts and understand that you're still learning.
It's up to you to turn on and turn the media and the noise.
It's up to you to listen.
I wrote a post after the Charlottesville tragedy that displays Maslow's hierarchy of needs, and how we are all entitled to self-actualization. It's up for you to dig deep and understand that denying one's right to existence is denying your own. If you're willing to accept that "others" (HUMANS) are disposable then there is no excuse when the you are given pushback. When you try to pack everything into a an already-stuffed suitcase, it will overflow.
The forum has opened up once again to discuss racism and its effects. Implicit bias. Police reform. Police disbandment. Conspiracy theories and set-ups. Protest rights. Peaceful protests. Riots. Performances. Looting. Violence. Police violence. Violent protests. Privilege. Challenge the system. Supporting Black-[insert profession]. Speaking up and speaking OUT against racist remarks, jokes and insults. Donating. Exclusion. D&I Initiatives. Show up. Allyship. White Ally. Government corruption. Voting. Virtue-signaling. Bootstrap theory. Hashtags. Where have you been this whole time? Selfie black square selfie. Sign this petition. You should be posting. You shouldn't be posting. Repost upon repost. Exhaustion. Ask Black people how they feel. Don't ask Black people how they feel. Take care of yourself. Don't make it about yourself. Things will never be normal. You don't know the whole story. What about the loss of business? BLM.
These are the messages going through every form of media, including social media, and probably uttered at least some point over the last month, but definitely two weeks since the murder (yes murder) of George Floyd.
The purpose of this post is NOT to tell you how to think, feel or digest. There are plenty of articles, segments, posts and people in your life to tell you these things....which is why, it is up to you.
It's up to you to speak out against racist remarks, jokes and insults.
It's up to you to donate.
It's up to you to protest.
It's up to you to sign a petition.
It's up to you to vote.
It's up to you to educate yourself on the policies that are and were in place to disenfranchise Black people and POC. (I say it like this because while segregation is overturned, how does it continue to perpetuate?)
It's up to you to read, watch movies and listen to music written, created, directed, produced and star Black and POC individuals, as well as questioning white-washing, majority rules and stereotypes.
It's up to you to check your own bias and challenge it.
It's up to you to support businesses owned by Black people and POC.
It's up to you to engage in community projects and initiatives.
It's up to you to challenge the status quo- in your personal, social and professional life.
It's up to you to tune into your family and friends and see how they're doing 99% of the time.
It's up to you how you post on your social media channels.
It's up to you how to raise your children.
It's up to you how to use language and understand the gravity of words.
It's up to you to say Black Lives Matter with integrity.
It's up to you to check in on your feelings, process your thoughts and understand that you're still learning.
It's up to you to turn on and turn the media and the noise.
It's up to you to listen.
I wrote a post after the Charlottesville tragedy that displays Maslow's hierarchy of needs, and how we are all entitled to self-actualization. It's up for you to dig deep and understand that denying one's right to existence is denying your own. If you're willing to accept that "others" (HUMANS) are disposable then there is no excuse when the you are given pushback. When you try to pack everything into a an already-stuffed suitcase, it will overflow.
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