A Murder Most Foul
I tend not to use social media much or public platforms like this often. Today I am. We are in a place in our nation that we all have a responsibility to speak out against the terrible injustices that we see and feel in our country and in our personal lives in effort to connect and collectively heal. America must confront its past to reconcile its future. Yesterday’s mistakes can be today’s education for tomorrow’s progress. Yet tomorrow seems to always be put off and it can’t wait any longer.
Let’s be clear, what happened to George Floyd in Minnesota was a lynching. What happened to Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia was a lynching. What happened to Rodney King in California was an attempted lynching. What happened to Emett Till in Mississippi was a lynching. This is an age old American tradition that seems to be unfortunately alive and well. As Americans, let’s unite and stand up against these atrocious violations of human rights. Black Lives Matter. Black Lives have always mattered. Black Lives will always matter.
Systemic Racism is alive and well. Being a brown man from the south I have experienced my (un)fair share of racism, but it’s not isolated to the south, it’s all across America. Lately, I’ve experienced acts of racism in large metros like New York and Los Angeles as well. Being singled out purely on the color of your skin is simply humiliating and repulsive. When it comes from places of authority and governance, it is outright terrifying. Inherent prejudice and implicit racism are apparent in how our country governs. This happens way more than cellphone video or body-cam footage could ever show.
A close friend said what is happening in this moment is a major convulsion of our country and I couldn’t agree more. Our national traumas are being stoked by the cold murder of George Floyd in the streets of Minneapolis. It is also reawakening individual traumas and injustices that often have been suppressed deep down inside in an effort to function. But this time it simply can’t be ignored. The status quo is not okay. Black Lives Matter. Black Lives have always mattered. Black Lives will always matter.
To everyone I know, especially to those in Arkansas, we have more of an effort to challenge the status quo. Explicit, implicit and systemic racism exists in this state and remaining silent in this moment is as critically damaging as the current systems in place.
An educational video: Systemic Racism Explained — We can educate ourselves and those around us. This is only the tip of the iceberg but a good way for anyone (including children) to understand what systemic racism is.
Here are things that we all can do:
1. Protest
Stand in solidarity with the end of police brutality, the end of systemic racism and stand with the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement. Make your voice heard loud and clear. Make a sign. Protests and uprisings are a very American thing. We can force the hand of those in charge. We as Americans have done this peaceably in so many instances and it does affect change. Bring friends, tell your neighbors. Put signs in your yards. Persistence to the point of change is the game. Freedom and democracy are essential rights in America, yet let’s not forget that many other nations don’t have this ability to protest. Let's use one of our most democratic functions vibrantly.
2. Defund, Restructure and Reform the Police
Excessive force by police, racial profiling and other unsavory tactics need deep reformation within the policing of our cities. Beyond that, allocating some of the earmarked budget that goes to police could go to other programs into communities most impacted by police violence such as community programs, rental aid, youth programs, public schools, health and social services.
Below I’ve written a template email that you can click that is addressed to your city mayor, police department and city council. Once you click the link to your city you can customize it to add your personal thoughts. Trying to make this easy for everyone. Here are some notes and thoughts per city as well.
For my Little Rock Friends — Defund, reform, restructure template email link
The Little Rock Police Department has 80M+ allocated to them for the 2020 fiscal year, while community programs only have less than 500K. We can allocate some of the police dollars elsewhere wisely. Frank Scott is a mayor on the side to end of police brutality. Let's get him on the side to reallocate police funds to other essential programs. Let the mayor, police department and city council know.
For my Los Angeles Friends — Defund, reform, restructure template email link
Los Angeles has 3B allocated to the police department for the 2020 fiscal year. Eric Garcetti has vowed to defund 150M from that to other programs. Let’s ask them where that is going and to double that effort.
For my New York Friends — Defund, reform, restructure template email link
New York has 6B allocated to their police department. Given the recent excessive force by them at peaceful protests and the denial by their governor we need serious reform there and making those dollars count elsewhere. Let’s urge the mayor and their team to defund, restructure and reform.
3. Meaningful Conversations
I urge us all to have meaningful conversations with family and friends to firmly challenge world views that are explicitly or implicitly prejudiced, racist or bigoted. Issues of human rights, fundamental freedoms and ethics we should all be advocates for. In moments like these, silence promotes violence. Get uncomfortable and have real dialogues with people you are close with. Don’t turn a blind eye.
The late great James Baldwin said
“People are trapped in history and history is trapped in them.”
