Black lives matter

by Della Heiman

…“When someone asks me about violence, I just find it incredible. Because what it means is that the person who’s asking that question has absolutely no idea what Black people have gone through, what Black people have experienced in this country since the time the first Black person was kidnapped from the shores of Africa…” 

– Angela Davis, activist, educator, philosopher and author

 

To our beloved Black friends, family, brothers, and sisters:

We are appalled, sickened, and enraged by the virulent hatred, racism, and systematic injustice that plagues our country.

This horrifying racist legacy is embedded in every layer of our criminal justice system, politics, our educational system, healthcare, and housing.

We stand by you, today and always.  For those of us who are white, we know that we can’t ever understand the depth of your experiences: your heartaches, the terrors you have endured, the daily cruelties – big and small – to which you are subjected.

We promise to stand beside you however we can. We will not be silent.

We will take sides and continue to educate ourselves and celebrate your invaluable contributions to our country. 

Most importantly, we will continue to advocate and fight for justice, which has been unfathomably and unconscionably denied. 

 

Given the vast and complex injustices that loom, it feels difficult to know how to make a difference. Everything feels insufficient. And yet, as Angela Davis said: “Sometimes we have to do the work even though we don’t yet see a glimmer on the horizon that it’s actually going to be possible.” 

 

We each have the power to take meaningful actions in the coming days and months. We can, and must, keep striving to do more.

 

Register and V-O-T-E:

Exercise your civic right and responsibility to vote in this election year and put progressive politicians, judges, and prosecutors into office. Encourage your family members, friends, and neighbors to do the same.

 

Donate:

Consider donating to bail funds, which cover bails needed to release prisoners from jail. The cash bail system’s design feeds mass incarceration, disproportionately affecting the poor and people of color. At this particular time, contributing to bail funds stands to save lives by releasing protestors and other prisoners from jails, where adequate precautions against the spread of Covid-19 are not being taken. Some groups we suggest: The Bail Project, Community Bail Fund, Know Your Rights Legal Defense Initiative

 

Be Anti-Racist

In your words and actions. In the words of Ibram X. Kendi: “like fighting an addiction, being an antiracist requires persistent self-awareness, constant self-criticism, and regular self-examination.” Learn more about local efforts via Black Lives Matter Alliance and Dream Defenders.

 

Educate Yourself:

This week, we are watching and listening to:

 

We can, and must, keep striving to do more.
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#Blacklivesmatter #georgefloyd #ahmaudarbery #breonnataylor

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