“We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must – at that moment – become the center of the universe.”
– Elie Wiesel
This has been an emotional week. I don’t understand what’s going on. If you read this blog, I want you to know first and foremost I’m here to speak my thoughts and bring attention to injustices of the world.
Black people are being executed daily. We’re profiled by police starting young so that there is a nice rap sheet to pull up when they get around to killing us. We aren’t allowed to have childhoods and “make mistakes”. We aren’t allowed to go through our coke head or alcoholic phase then still get hired for jobs. We aren’t allowed to navel-gaze, to “find ourselves”, to laugh off DUI’s with our friends. We aren’t allowed to fail without being told failure is in our DNA. We aren’t allowed to succeed without being accused of being some token of affirmative action. We are walking fear from birth. If we escape execution or prison, the stress of wondering when it will happen kills us early.
We ALL know these things. The internet has been wonderful in bringing it all to light. Judges selling kids to prisons, the infiltration of hate groups into police forces, the hate being spewed in comment sections all over the web. They patrol our neighborhoods and “teach” in our schools. They aren’t some boogeyman that we made up. They don’t go away if we just “try harder” or “stay out of trouble” Especially since it’s been made virtually impossible to do either of those things. These “people” exist and they want us to die. I feel like if I have to convince you at this point then I know you’re just not on my team. And that’s fine because I’m exhausted with arguing. This is a sad existence that can feel supremely unfair. But we are so fucking strong. We keep it moving with this cloud hanging over us. We’re still proud in a society that tells us being black is the worst thing possible. And that’s what they hate most. #blacklivesmatter
Water, melanin, bones, blood. In route to death, while I’m here, might as well get shit accomplished.
Photographer, fitness enthusiast, blogger, and mother of two.
