Why I blocked traffic this morning in Fairfax, Virginia
First and foremost, I did this for Natasha McKenna and her family. She was a 37 year old woman of color who was killed by members of the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Department while in custody. No one has been brought to account for her death.
I did this as white male in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. I recently have become more honest with myself and more aware of the systemic racism that exists in our criminal justice system. I’m also acutely aware of the hesitance and discomfort that white Americans — especially white men — feel when faced with the truth that the black body is not as respected as our own. We feel guilt, we feel discomfort, we feel outrage, but too often we take our privilege and walk away from the tough conversations.
I did this as someone who personally has struggled and lives with mental illness. I have been fearful for my safety in the past when confronted by and taken into police custody on three previous occasions unrelated to my acts of nonviolent civil disobedience.
I did this as a member of Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ). We are a national network of organizations that activates white people to work for racial justice. At first, solidarity with Black Lives Matter was very uncomfortable for me. SURJ equipped me with the knowledge, confidence, and agency to be more comfortable with that discomfort. I can’t speak higher praises of the people and the love that exists in the space they create for those tough conversations.
I did this and would do it again because I’m not going to be complicit in these systems of violence and oppression anymore.
Our silence perpetuates violence.
