I’m back! And boy, do I have a lot to say.
A lot has happened since my last post. In fact, that’s part of the reason why I haven’t posted in a few weeks. My brain can only handle so much. And then it takes a lot more work and energy to transfer all of that onto the page into something coherent and useful. But a fire has been lit under my butt, and I’m ready to go.
There is a lot to say on Black Lives Matter. There’s a lot to digest and to learn, so many resources and materials to share. So my next few posts will be about BLM, what there is to know and what there is to DO. Radical activism is a new thing for a lot of people, and it’s hard at times to know what to say and what to do. This is where we start.
Why it’s not “all lives matter.” Clearly Black Lives Matter does not mean that others do not. But what America has shown is that it does not believe that Black lives matter at all. Black lives are disproportionately more likely to be targeted, brutalized, and murdered by the police. This is thanks to inherent racism and white supremacy that is built into the system we live in. Black lives are routinely snuffed out, and those who take their lives rarely face any meaningful consequences.
Trayvon Martin was a 17-year-old unarmed Black boy when he was killed, and his white killer, George Zimmerman, was acquitted. Trayvon was holding a bag of Skittles when he was killed.
Rekia Boyd was an unarmed 22-year-old Black woman when she was killed, and her killer, an off-duty police officer, was cleared of all charges. Rekia was partying with her friends when she was killed.
Tamir Rice was a 12-year-old unarmed Black boy when he was killed, and his white killers — two police officers — were not indicted. Tamir was playing, as kids should, when he was killed.
Eric Garner was a 44-year-old unarmed Black man when he was killed by the police. The U.S. Department of Justice declined to bring criminal charges against Eric’s white killer. Eric begged for his life as he was choked to death.
Michael Brown Jr. was an 18-year-old unarmed Black boy when he was killed, and his white killer — a police officer — was not indicted. Michael’s body was left lying in the street for four hours.
Sandra Bland was a 28-year-old unarmed Black woman when she was found dead in jail, after being arrested for a traffic stop, for “failing to use her blinker.” The Hispanic officer who pulled her over and brought her in was allowed to avoid perjury charges in exchange for permanently quitting the police force.
Freddie Gray was a 25-year-old unarmed Black man when he was killed by police officers. His killers, who beat Gray until he sustained a spinal injury and fell into a coma, were acquitted and other charges were dropped.
Botham Jean was a 26-year-old unarmed Black man when he was killed in his own home by an off-duty police officer. His white killer was found guilty of murder and is serving a ten-year sentence. Botham was watching television and eating ice cream when he was killed.
Atatiana Jefferson was a 28-year-old Black woman when she was killed in her own home by a white police officer. Her killer has been indicted for murder. Atatiana was investigating the noises in her backyard made by the police and protecting her home when she was killed.
Ahmaud Arbery was a 25-year-old unarmed Black man when he was killed by two white men. Ahmaud’s killers were arrested 74 days after they murdered him, only after the video of their crime went viral. Ahmaud was out for a run in his neighborhood when he was killed.
Breonna Taylor was a 26-year-old unarmed Black woman when she was killed in her own home by white plain-clothes police officers. Her killers have not been charged, while her boyfriend, who protected Breonna with his legally obtained firearm, was charged with attempted murder and assault against the officers. Breonna was an EMT getting ready for bed when she was killed.
George Floyd was a 46-year-old unarmed Black man when he was killed by a white police officer, while other non-black officers stood by. His killer, who smirked and knelt on George’s neck for eight minutes, has been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The other officers remain free. George was at the market when he was killed.
These are only a few of the names that we know. Unfortunately, there are many more Black lives that have been taken needlessly. So many that weren’t filmed, so many that didn’t become a hashtag.
So many Black lives taken, and yet so few consequences for their killers. White and non-black people use their entitlement to justify murder. Police officers use and abuse their power to justify the murder of Black men, women, and children. And there are rarely ever any consequences, because we live in a system and society that devalues Black lives. It places white lives and white comfort and white power over Black lives.
When we see time and time again that Black lives do not matter to this country as it exists, we MUST declare that in fact Black lives DO matter. We must protest, we must make it known that we value these human beings and that they deserve justice. They deserve a system that does better by them.
Black people are tired of being killed and it meaning nothing. And as allies, we should be tired, too. We should be disgusted that injustice has been allowed to continue for so long. White supremacy and racism affects us all. It is the job of non-black folks to amplify Black voices, to support Black people, and to take up this cause, too.
I urge you to not leave what you learn from here, or on Twitter, or on Instagram, to just yourself. I urge you to share what you learn widely. Share it with those you know who will take you up on your calls to action, but also those you know who might not. Now is not the time for silence.