Warning – this article contains graphic descriptions of police brutality, oppression, and topics that may be triggering for some readers.
I will never forget viewing the video of George Floyd’s brutal public murder by the police a few days after it had happened on May 25, 2020, in Minneapolis. George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died after a white officer held his knee on Floyd’s neck, pinning him to the pavement while Floyd was in handcuffs as he begged for his life, for eight minutes and forty-six seconds. For eight minutes and forty seconds as the officer continues to crush George Floyd’s neck, he lies motionless on the pavement – but George was not the first.
Turning to David in tears, I’m not sure if I managed to choke out, “They squished him like a bug. This is NOT okay.”
Watching any living thing’s life taken from it breaks me, but seeing a human calmly, and publicly, extinguish another human life in this way was too much. I will never be the same – and I don’t want to be because that would mean turning my back and ignoring a problem that’s already been ignored for far too long.
This is a delicate issue. I’ve been taking my time with this piece. It has taken me weeks to write, mostly because of a fear that I may get it wrong and unintentionally cause harm. We can’t let this fear keep ups from acting.
Racism is real, and it’s alive and well in America. Racism has been embedded in our laws and our systems. To say it isn’t would be to gaslight the people in our country who experience racism first hand every day. Our country has a long history of racism. I saw a protest sign recently that said, “Racism is as American as Baseball” – its true, and THIS is NOT okay.
George Floyd isn’t an isolated incident. He is one of many BIPOC to be murdered by police using excessive force. Mothers shouldn’t fear for their children’s lives, especially when the people they fear are sworn to protect and serve – not harass or murder.
THIS is not okay. So what do we do about it?
- FIRST we need to shut up and listen. Listen to what people are saying. Listen to learn more than to reply. If you don’t know how to help, you likely don’t know enough (yet) to be helpful. In this stage, it’s time to keep our ideas and opinions to ourselves and listen.
- Get educated about anti-racism. There are many free resources about racism in the age of the internet. It’s essential to learn about racism from people who experience it first hand.
- We need to take responsibility for our actions. White people, I hate to tell you this, but cleaning up racism in America is our job. We made the mess, and now we need to help with all the work required to clean it up by taking a strong anti-racism stance.
- Donate to organizations that fight for racial justice & demand the laws and oppressive systems be dismantled.
- Support black and minority-owned businesses.
- Learn about our country’s racist history, systematic racism, and white privilege specifically. (Yes white privilege IS real, and ALL white people have it – EVEN the underprivileged ones.)
- Do your (own) research. Don’t harass your BIPOC friends for information (unless you know they are looking to talk about what’s going on in the world right now). Respect people’s time. There are plenty of blogs, books, and videos freely available at your fingertips, thanks to the internet. There are many books and resources with first-hand information on this topic.
- Once you know better, do better. Every day is a chance to start over and do better.
- Speak out but don’t speak over BIPOC. Use the new knowledge and skills you gain in the steps above to speak out against racism. Make yourself an ally against racial injustice.
- Be ready to apologize when you get it wrong. Remember, when stepping into new territory, mistakes are bound to happen. That’s when we loop back up to step one, “take responsibility for our actions.” Before you apologize, make sure you take the time to understand what you are apologizing for and can make a true apology, from the heart.
We’ve all made mistakes. Obviously – nobody’s perfect! BUT when you KNOW better DO better. Every day is a fresh start. It doesn’t matter where you were in the past, you can put it behind you and make a decision that you will do the right thing moving forward.
This was murder by the police. My heart aches for this poor child’s family. Let’s hope they finally get justice.
I know this is probably my Autism speaking, but – Anyone that uses the word Race and Racism is a “Racist”, there is only one Race, Homo Sapiens! The Neanderthals and the Denisovians interbred with Homo Sapiens, which by current definitions that a Race Relation that produces viable offspring, is not sufficient divergent – so it is all one race!
The difference is only ones skins capacity to defend/cooperate with the Sun!
I am from the North, I go white in the winter and I go brown/black in the summer depending on … the exposure to the Sun – gives me Vit D to survive winter. The Black people are designed (mutated in response to where they live) to have strong sun all year and their skin is less proficient to take up Vit D during summer and winter ……. with all shades in between – in response to the Sun – nothing else.
I remember living with a group in my youth, someone came knocking on the door, I opened and the person at the door said “I am looking for a guy with “Olive Skin”!” “Sorry” I said, “no one like that here”. Just then my friend popped his head around the corner and said – “Oh, that’s me – Hi”,
I turned around and looked at him …….. Oh yeah, he had a deep suntan, he was from India ……… I did not see his skin colour, I just saw a friend!
I think there is a lesson there somewhere?
regards
Leiv
How true! I didn’t even realize that people were supposed to be treated differently due to the color of skin. I knew how and why their skins were different and just marveled at the science behind it. I think most Aspies look at an individual as just that, an individual.
Thank you so much for this. You have embodied what I as a minority feel is the best way to approach the problem. Too many times I have heard the platitudes and the unobtainable answers. Thank you for taking the time to think about it and write in a realistic manner. Minorities cannot say this because it sounds like we are “whining and ungrateful”.
Racism is indeed American. It’s as American as tea and biscuits. And it’s not acceptable.
… us white folks who created it need to own, admit, and work to rectify … It can’t go on. It’s simply not okay. Let’s vow to love one another and spread that love contagiously.