Hey my LoveLees! How is everyone doing?
As for me and my family we are heartbroken. The entire black community is frustrated, tired, upset and just down right MAD. It's sad that today, systemic racism continues to exist in our communities. The brutal killing of George Floyd as he begged and pleaded for his life, was just too much. As a mother, hearing him cry out for his mother pierced the heart of every black mother on this planet. We’ve seen these violent racial murders time and time again. The murder of George Floyd, on the heels of others like Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and the viral video showing Christian Cooper being falsely accused in Central Park by a white woman who took offense to him asking her to adhere to park rules by leashing her dog, has just been too much endure.
Protests and outrage expressed this past week have shown the depths of anger, frustration, sadness, anxiety and dread, across the U.S. Charging the main officer in the George Floyd case, along with the other three officers, is a first step towards justice. But the road ahead of us blacks is long and far from being over. We have been distraught because this isn’t the first time this has happened and sadly, it won’t be the last time.
Unfortunately, the lives of blacks in America are still seen as less valuable than whites. That's why there was the need for the black lives matter movement. This society has placed a low value on black lives and so the mistreatment and killing of black lives is not taken as seriously. In certain instances, animals are even more valuable than black lives. Do you remember Michael Vick being sentenced to prison for dog fighting? Hmmm! I'll wait!
While each person’s experience is different, there are common trends to the black experience in America. My black girlfriends and I can all relate to being seen first and foremost as blacks and then women, before the other dimensions are known…Professional, wife, mother, sister, daughter, fashion lover, great cook, scared of bugs, loves working out and so on.
We also have know that we have to work twice as hard as everyone else to get promoted and excel in a corporate environment. Especially where you sometimes see others with less experience and fewer credentials promoting ahead of others who may be more qualified and accomplished. We’ve also experienced situations where we were paid less than our white counterparts.
As a black woman engaged to a black man and also the mother of a young black man, I worry about them. When my son leaves home, I'm always ensuring he knows how to behave in public/when out with friends and in the event he ever gets pulled over by police, keeping his hands where the police can see them and not making any sudden movements. When my fiancé leaves home I'm always worried if someone will mistake his 6'4 muscular stature as a threat and kill him without notice. I always tell them both to be careful when they leave home not because I fear their judgment but I'm afraid of what a white person will do to harm them.
Every state in the U.S. protested this week. It was very encouraging to see all the support across the nation and even other countries. As I continue to pray for justice and peace in our country, I will also share resources on how you can help. Most of these resources are agencies I have contributed to or ways that I have helped.
Here's how you can support the black community:
1. Support Black-Owned Business. Here is a list.
2. Donate to organizations fighting for social Justice such as the NAACP and Black Lives Matter. Here is a list of ten organizations.
3. Sign a petition. Color of Change has two petitions you can sign:
-Text FLOYD to 551-56 to ask that all the officers involved in George Floyd’s death be brought to justice.
-You can also text DEMANDS to 551-56 to sign one in support of ending police violence against black people.
4. Educate your kids about racism. No one is born a racist. Racism is taught. Have those difficult conversations with your kids. Here is a list of books that can help ease the conversation.
5. REGISTER TO VOTE! It is very important for everyone who can vote to register to vote so you can help vote for candidates who aren’t tolerant of racism and will help bring about systemic change. You can register to vote here. It only takes about 2 minutes.
I hope this list helps and as always I love you all! Be Blessed!
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