Black Lives More Than Matter
Images by Corinne Wilger
At this point, I hope this is obvious, but in case it isn’t let me be clear BLACK LIVES MATTER. Unequivocally, beyond a shadow of a doubt, despite our cultural conditioning and the vast systemic disparities. Sing it and shout it from the mountains! Black lives matter! Black safety matters, Black health matters, Black prosperity matters, Black peace matters! Black lives, in all of their facets and nuances, in all of their iterations and forms, matter. No justifying, no explaining, no proving, no question.
I pray that this sinks in, takes root, flourishes quickly taking us all by surprise with the speed of change! For that to happen, we must do our part, we must uproot whatever is strangling new growth, we must nourish the soil and plant the seeds, tend to them daily and continue to ask ourselves what more can we do. I feel like this also needs repeating: This may not be easy work, but it is necessary, lifesaving, just.
I am writing this in part because I think every single platform in 2020, every voice, every person needs to be saying and thinking and acting on this! I am also writing this as a way to hold myself accountable. My parents taught me that race in America “is a black and white issue and doesn’t concern us.” I wish I didn’t have to say that it’s taken me years to understand how problematic and harmful this thinking is. As a non-black POC I am not exempt, none of us are. This concerns everyone! I am admittedly new to this knowledge, new to this conscious thinking, this undoing and redoing. This video really struck me when I saw it. I got chills when I heard Hasan Minhaj say “We think we’re not a part of the story, but we’re at the scene of the crime! That’s why the full picture matters. This doesn’t happen in a vacuum, this happens in a system.”
So here I am, as eager as I am new, and I don’t want that eagerness or dedication to dissipate because I know this is a lifelong commitment. I want to use this new energy to create sustainable practices to make sure this takes root in my life and environment. I want to be sure that I hold myself and others accountable so we can work together united in this common goal of equity and justice. We are tasked with undoing centuries of wrong, unjust, violent action. And I feel that if we genuinely put forth the effort, we can succeed. I feel the urgency in my body! People’s lives hang in the balance and I am not ok with that.
Currently, I am in a course called Unpacking Anti-Blackness in our Non-Black Families and Communities. In the first session, we reflected on how we can be more active in our work individually and as a community. The point was raised that we must use our hearts, our tongues, and our hands. We must approach this work from several angles: internally (hearts), by communicating with others (tongues), and through action (hands!). This resonated so deeply. I want to share some of what I’ve been doing. I am in no way perfect and am seeing over and over how I can grow, improve, be more active. For me, part of this work is finding inspiration and having a constant stream of ideas and passion flowing in, or at least available, so that I don’t lose momentum. My goal is to build up a sustainable, multi-faceted justice practice. In fact, that Hasan Minhaj video, I have been watching it every time I need a boost!
I hope this inspires and encourages you.
(Heart) Black Lives Matter. Say it out loud, like a prayer, an intention, a way to guide thoughts and action, a way to lay to rest anything that isn’t in alignment with this Truth. Say it to cultivate and nourish all that IS in alignment with this Truth, so that it may grow bigger, stronger, and more robust like wildflowers or a giant vine of goodness. Get comfortable saying it, feeling it, thinking it, believing it, and acting on it! Get to the point where this is second nature, a deep seated belief.
Practice is a great way to get there. We are all learning, and trying is the first step. Don’t expect perfection or praise. Allow for any discomfort to be there, and keep practicing, knowing that you are undoing deep unwell conditioning and that the discomfort is a sign of this shifting. Remember action is informed by thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes, so make sure you are intentionally nourishing the ones that can inform the best possible actions! The actions that serve everyone’s highest and best, the ones that center Black Lives and not just your own comfort.
(Heart + Tongue) I find speaking things out loud is a way to help my system know it's important. I say things over and over and over until it's in my bones and in my blood. I say it until I feel like in a moment of decision I can go back to it in a split second and allow it to inform that decision! I say it until I feel the roots of the words growing deep within, and springing from the soles of my feet into the earth, grounding me into that belief.
I invite you to say this with me (and the whole BLM collective!):
Black Lives Matter
Black Trans Lives Matter
Black Non Binary Lives Matter
Black Women Matter
Black Men Matter
Black Families Matter
Black Babies Matter
Black Pregnant Lives Matter
Black Parents Matter
Black Mothers Matter
Black Fathers Matter
Black Children Matter
Black Communities Matter
Black Elders Matter
Black Teenagers Matter
Black Healthcare Matters
Black Housing Matters
Black Safety Matters
Black Prosperity Matters
Black Peace Matters
Black Lives Matter
(Tongue) Allow this to sink in, to wash over you, find the joy and the celebration in these words! And now, sing it out! Spread this joy and this message. When someone is calling this into question, feel how good it feels to tell them this Truth. To let it spring from your lips with joy and resolve! To say this Truth and really mean it. Allow them to hear the conviction and confidence in your voice. Allowing these words to create a pause, a moment of realization, acting as a balm to sooth fears and uncertainty, or at least giving the opportunity and space for that to happen.
See the injustice and do NOT remain silent! Understand your part and your power. Speak up. Advocate, share, empower yourself to empower others. Acknowledge. Uplift. Celebrate.
(Hands) ACT! Use this life force, this river of Truth, this song of celebration and reckoning to guide your actions. In every way big and small. How you talk to someone, how you look at someone, how you recognize their humanity, how you protect and celebrate their existence, how you appreciate and listen to and really hear others even when their lived experience is unimaginable to you. How you center someone else in your action. How you empathize and relate. How you Protest, Vote, Share resources, Support, Listen, Learn, Love.
I don’t want to oversimplify this AND I don’t want to overcomplicate it. This is a huge system and we are all an interconnected part of it. Every time I read “There would be racism even without racists,” I am relieved and infuriated. Knowing our part in this can also be encouraging. We didn’t create it, but by not doing anything we are complicit AND we do have power to change it, so we must change it. We must turn the tide. We cannot do this alone, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do our part.
We are all learning as we go and the most important part of learning is to try again and again and again. And not to tie your worth to your success or failures but to your efforts. Are you trying? Are you genuinely showing up and putting in an effort? Are you stretching and innovating and working for change? Are you challenging yourself? Are you building stamina and endurance? Have you made a lifelong commitment to do your part, which is ever changing? Are you holding yourself accountable? Are you prepared to fuck up and try again and again? Personally I have a long way to go, but every day that I can answer yes to these questions, I feel the inch of progress, and knowing we are all interconnected, those inches add up!
I feel so blessed that Devyn Freet has created a list of anti-racist resources to post on this blog! I will be sharing that soon and expanding it as I learn more.