Here we are - waiting for the verdict. Change has got to come, somehow, some way. Let's talk about some proposed changes.
While there is much support for The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, many also agree that it does not go far enough. An article in The Chicago Sun Times (author: Jesse Jackson) says, "Surely the M4BL is right: sensible police reforms are necessary but not sufficient. Renewed investment in communities and greater community control over the police are essential. The plague of mass incarceration must be ended. The George Floyd Act, however, need not be in conflict with broader reforms... Police reforms will never work unless accompanied by and embedded in rebuilding and empowering communities."
Yes we are going to talk about it. Because everyone should be talking about it. Because no one should be afraid to join the conversation. Because it is time and long overdue that everyone participate in the conversation.
Since becoming a mother, there have been times I have been plagued with the terror of worry over my son. I've vividly imagined various scenarios in which he is in peril. I have settled on the idea that this is a normal "mother" thing. When he was an infant, I would check his breathing as he slept. Mini movies of him stumbling into danger would play in my mind as I tried to baby proof the house. My heart has skipped a beat as I watched him fall off a chair and couldn't catch him fast enough. I can not fathom the kind of constant inherent danger that is a part of life for young people of color - or know the emotional strain, or tragic grief, of their mothers.
If any of the "privileged" are tired of hearing about it... Try not just hearing about it but also thinking about it, facing it, fearing because of it, waking up with it, going to bed with it, eating with it, sleeping with it, trying to work despite of it, and breathing it in - every waking moment of your life until you breathe no more because of it.
Show some compassion. Out loud. Right now.
Who do I think I Am? I Am privileged enough to speak my mind. I Am somebody's mother. I Am fortunate enough to know the Love of family - some by blood relation, some not - that includes a variety of skin tones. I Am someone who has felt the beauty and warmth of being welcomed into musical families of R&B, Soul, Hip Hop, Reggae and Funk musicians for all of my adult life and career. Friends, loved ones, mentors who have faced unimaginable hatred, prejudice and pain have treated me as a sister without EVER holding any malice toward me. Amazing opportunity and Blessings have come to me through African American people, companies, and organizations. I Am - most importantly and qualifyingly - HUMAN.
His name is George.
I never met him, but he was my brother. He was your brother too.
