#004: Dear (White) America, Is Now OK for a Revolution?
“Our police force was not created to serve black Americans; it was created to police black Americans and serve white Americans”
The time was now after Trayvon Martin. The time was now after Eric Garner. The time was now after Philando Castile. The time was now after Breonna Taylor. The time was now after Ahmaud Arbery. The time is now after George Floyd.
Is now OK for a revolution?
I am a white man and this letter is not intended for the Black community in America. There are plenty of white men in government and on pulpits preaching today. Yet alone the Racist in Chief in the White House (pun intended). We don’t need another. But I also know that I simply can’t continue to see posts and receive texts about everything happening right now without addressing it and voicing my feelings in some way. This isn’t a time to remain silent. This is my fight too. I was born into the privilege of not having the burden of fear when leaving the house everyday, but many of my best friends simply don’t have that luxury.
I received a text today that led to a realization. It was from a family member and it read, “be careful going outside this weekend, I heard there will be big protests in LA”. The text made me realize that this was the first time my family has ever even thought about warning me about going outside or possible harm due to the color of my skin. Whether thought about consciously or not, this is the life of the Black community in America everyday.
True equality is the goal. Equal pay, equal rights and a level playing field are all goals that we should be striving for. But can we begin with an achievable goal that is far below that? Can we start by stopping the killing of innocent people in our communities? Not getting hired for a job due to racism can be overcome. There is no coming back from death. The blame is rooted in the social and economic racism that existed since the formation of America, but today we must place blame directly on the primary perpetrators of this violence.
The broken systems of policing, government and the media are all a part of the problem. But the cops are the ones with blood on their hands — literally. As most of us can agree, not all police officers are bad. It goes without saying that there are many cops in this country that are good people who are trying everyday to fix these problems through their actions. But they are also part of a system that has proven time after time to senselessly murder innocent Black people and protect the killers. If a legitimate review process were to happen, every ‘good’ cop could name the racist and/or dirty cops in their precincts with ease. That is the problem and why the entire system is broken. A bad music manager lies, cheats and steals. Certainly not admirable qualities. But a bad cop has the power to end a life with a gun, a knee on the neck or sending someone into the prison industrial complex. This has nothing to do with politics and there is nothing to disagree about. This is empathy and humanity. This is love and compassion. And if we can’t agree on that, unfollow me, fuck off and there is a special place for you in hell.
Awareness is good. But action is better. Vote. Protest. And if you are able, please consider donating to the below organizations in their relentless pursuit to address racism and bigotry in America. This generation has been known as the social media or ‘stare at your phone’ generation. It’s time to change that. But if all that you are willing to do is post, share or retweet, let’s not let this moment end in a few days like so many times in the past. This moment must persist and lead to change.
Minnesota Freedom Fund
Black Lives Matter
George Floyd Memorial Fund
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
NAACP
Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)
