So, Do Black Lives Still Matter to You?

Black Lives Matter. Or so, that’s what the world keeps echoing. But, to whom do these lives matter, and why?

At the onset of this pandemic, most people were focused on the length of time it would take to return to “normal,” while millions of other people were confronted with a double crisis—a pandemic and racial uprisings. As different groups of people began reconciling their thoughts and reverting to their former ways of dissociating and dissonance, a lot of people, including those for whom racism deeply affects, moved on.

Though, it does not shock or surprise me that this is the natural occurrence of too many things, it does however, sadden me when I witness people go from rage and sorrow to conversion—the unconscious process of taking a feeling and converting it into another feeling or state of being, usually cut off from the previous feeling.

So, the question, “what do we do about this?” may follow. Well, as I try to do in my work with the Village, here are a few suggestions for anyone seeking to stay steadfast in helping to liberate Black Lives:

1. 1. 1. Stay read up! What I mean by that is select a book to read on historical context from America to the Caribbean, Africa, Latin America, all the way to Europe and learn the history of race, class, and violence against poor and marginalized people.
         
         
      2. Share what you are reading or have read with people unlike you! As Dr. Maya Angelou, a renowned ancestor I continue to quote used to say, “when you learn, teach.” You can help someone else learn the truth by sharing knowledge.
         
         
      3. Invite people to do their own self work. Don’t try to do it for them. For example, if you have a friend—white or Black—who has openly expressed their dissent for racism and classism when they begin asking you questions or even expressing hopelessness, remind them that silence and apathy cannot be resolutions to the problem. Seeking understanding, knowledge, eradicating complicity and confronting unconscious biases and projected fear is a start. And then, give them resources like Rhonda Magee, an attorney and law professor who practices mindfulness and social justice as an educator to learn from along with unpacking the things that lead to mindlessness.
         
         
      4. If you want to go deeper than what I’ve already provided, also educate yourself on things that will advance yourself mentally, financially and socially. We grow when we have access to learning and socializing with others. So, in plain English—put your money where your mouth is and invest in classes that will enrich you about other people’s culture, purchase in communities that are mostly marginalized, including real estate. Take time to listen to what’s happening with the next generation so you can help alleviate the traumas that get passed on from one generation to another and guide them in healing and preventing further trauma.

I know you’ve heard this before, but I’ll say it too, we won’t solve all the problems racism has caused overnight. Hell, we probably won’t even solve a quarter of the problems in our generation, but we can begin turning the tides, and also reminding people with cognitive dissonance that it isn’t the job of the people for whom racism has benefited from to fix it. However, we can assist in at least acknowledging its existence.

*This blog is about becoming free. It’s a reflection of introspective thoughts and experiences that have crossed miles of self-discovery. I created this blog to inspire others to live life with less self-criticism, judgment and openness to new experiences. May you find that you learn how to live a life by design and on your own terms!*