My Reflections on seeing Protest in Action
#BLACK LIVES MATTER
These past few weeks have forced me to learn and unlearn a lot of things that connect us as humans. I moved to the united states in 2015 from India with the usual awe and perception about how everything is perfect in developed countries.
I lived with that belief for quite some time until how COVID-19 destroyed many lives in New York and other states(still continuing to) and how people are suffering to date for basic necessities and making ends meet. Doctors, healthcare professionals, essential personnel all risking their lives to save us, and most of the time their efforts not being acknowledged by those in power to the murder of George Floyd. The way things are being handled so poorly in such an inhuman manner to date in a country like America is shockingly surprising.
People’s perception and opinions are changing dramatically over the past few weeks, from Delete&reset 2020 to how 2020 has been such a transformative year so far and how blessed we all are — to witness and be the change. The best part of listening and try to understand different perspectives have helped to question my own beliefs and where do I stand in all of this.
It is heartbreaking to be able to hear the last words from George Floyd — ‘ I can’t breathe’. I couldn’t stop thinking since then on why it happened in the first place? No person deserves to die like the way he died, but his death has paved the way for the modern civil rights movement as they call it. I have never witnessed something this infectious (gave me goosebumps when I joined the protest for a couple of hours)that led thousands of people joining in across all 50 states and now turning it into global human rights movement and it is so inspiring to see how people are risking their lives during the pandemic for justice.
I am not an expert in the political system of the united states, but the protests are in a way nudging all of us in the direction to educate ourselves regarding racial inequality and broken policing system. I spend these past few weeks reading, listening, watching, and learning about black history, black lives matter movement and it is heart-wrenching to see how systemic racism is deep-rooted cancer that has been left untreated for so long.
It is true that I may not understand what it means to be a black person in America, but I want to acknowledge the fact that I am at least not in danger to be thrown in jail while innocent, stopped by a cop, killed or shot while out jogging in a park. When people say Black lives matter, it does not mean that only their lives matter, its because there community and lives are in danger, and they are spending every moment of their life in fear.
I could understand what that fear looks like after watching the 13th documentary streaming on Netflix. It’s truly eye-opening to see how the history, past and present haven’t changed much for the black community, all these years. The mass incarcerations, 1 in 3 black people going to jail while innocent or for petty crimes prove how misaligned the justice system is to date, be it the Central Park five case, kalief Browder, and hundreds more.
I believed that post the civil rights movement in the late ’60s to Barack Obama becoming the first black president things have really changed for the better — for the black community. I was surprised to learn otherwise through Becoming by Michelle Obama where she writes various instances through her life where she faced racism. This reminds me of the words of Angela Davis, ‘In a racist society, it is not enough to be a non-racist. we must be anti-racist’. This perspective shift is imperative.
I had no clue about the broken policing system until I watched the episode in the patriot act by Hasan Minaj, where he talks about almost how impossible it is to sue a cop in America due to Qualified immunity, police unions, and warrior training. It all makes sense now as for this very reason, #black lives matter started in 2012 after George Zimmerman, got away after pursuing and killing 17-year-old African-American, Trayvon Martin based on suspicion. Patrisse Cullors, the co-founder of Black lives matter, recently talked about though it took almost eight years to gain this momentum, it’s never too late in the sense that people are now willing to have this conversation at home, workplace even though it is uncomfortable and willing to fight for justice and she adds that black lives matter — believes in fighting to punish anti-bad cops not sending the message that all cops are bad.
What I am sharing is not something which most people have not heard of, in fact, there are hundreds of articles on medium, which I have been reading where people are sharing their experiences, stories that they heard, and how to bring change written by Barack Obama. All these articles are talking about various perspectives and ways in which we can all be a part of this change and expressing our solidarity by writing about the protests and what each of us has learned over and over again so it inspires more people to come together and bring about the necessary changes. It is sad and frustrating that the systems that are designed to protect us in the first place are flawed and it’s high time we vouch for a better system that truly defines democracy in every sense.
The art of this protest has already been paving way for positivity and success despite, police officers attacking and hurting peaceful protesters. The media and government are trying to divide us and as famously said, ‘united we succeed, divided we fall’. The unity with which we are leading this movement together by far is commendable and that solely being the only reason for the change we are witnessing now — the officers who killed George Floyd are charged with first-degree murder and prosecuted to passing the Breona bill in Lousiville, Ky — ban on no-knock warrants and edging to defund the police. I am still trying to learn what [defund the police] means in action and hoping that the power of all us being connected together as humans help us fight the pandemic and racial inequality. This being the month of Juneteenth, which I recently found out exists. It is the celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States and people are talking about it now makes me happy to see that change is happening.
Bottom Line:
Systemic Racism is deep-rooted but could be eliminated. None of us are born racists, we begin to develop hate and discrimination based on color by engaging with/ listening to the wrong people. That being said, there is hope to choose love over fear and see a person for who is rather that the color is born with. The conversations about race may be an uncomfortable topic for most of us but through these conversations is where we see change and growth. Growth happens outside of our comfort zone.
We all are playing a crucial role in fighting against injustice, either by participating in the protest to end police brutality, having conversations, advancing our understanding, educating ourselves, keep an open mind, making a donation — anything within our reach, one of the easiest ways I have found is playing black lives matter playlist on youtube and let in the run in the background and help them make money through ads. Action may mean different for each person and that’s okay. Knowing that we care and we support black lives matter is what counts.
In a recent podcast episode by Jay Shetty, ON PURPOSE— shared about how Malcolm X beautifully fought for racial injustice by traveling and giving small lectures at universities to motivate more students to join in the fight for racial inequality and how his words are so relevant to date. In one interview, Malcolm X made a statement that is so true — he said it would amazing if people could see a person beyond color and change their perspective to good and bad people and evaluate good and bad behavior. This is when we can end systemic racism.
we should start seeing each other with light, as Light creates understanding, Understanding creates Love, Love creates Patience, and Patience creates Unity — Malcolm X
