But all lives matter.
- Them
1. Let's Love. We are all angry. Meaning all of us black folk, those concerned white folk and every other in between. We mad. Trust me, we are. To begin dialogue addressing social injustices taking place in freaking 2016, we have to begin with Love. I know this is easier said then done but trust there is strategy to this. Let's remove our anger, keep the hurt but remove the anger for 1.1 seconds and let's try and approach this thing out of love. I shared a simple comment dialogue with one of my white friends who is just as torn about recent events. She didn't know what to say nor did she attempt to make up something. I learned from her that sometimes gentle concern and love is all it takes to show your support. She helped remove some of my rage. I know someone who had coworkers giving their sympathies to her and other black colleagues in the office. Ok now listen: you don't have to apologize to us. Your apologies are nice gestures but its when you try and understand that works for us. Just care a little. Let's practice a little empathy. Let's love one another. Let's not always look for the inorganic words to say but let's talk about the tragedy. Go to those who may be uncomfortable talking, with love. #OpinionsMatter so let's at least get them flowing. Let's not sweep it beneath the rug.
2. Screw Distractions. Let's not sweep it beneath the rug. Let's talk. We talk about everything else. The latest Scandal episode, the hottest restaurant popping on the scene and what your dog ate last night. So let's not get distracted. It may seem uncomfortable but let's do it anyway. Instead of chasing Pokemon or proclaiming that #AllLivesMatter and #BlueLivesMatter but insisting that #BlackLivesMatter is a racist hate group, let's pour out our emotions. Don't let this become your normal. Engage in the conversation daily if you must. I've made my students talk about it every single day. They need to continue to voice how they feel about what's happening. It didn't happen and magically go away. It has become our reality. A good way to screw the distractions is to pay attention to the media. Observe how fast the death of someone can be replaced with video gaming trends or some other phenomen. We shed tears over Harambe's life because he just didn't deserve to die. Trust me, I totally believe that statement but let's not forget about slain human beings and how quick we become distracted. The best way to keep dialogue poppin with those afraid to talk is by making those type of references. Tell stories, use examples. Show them how we've become distracted. Let's screw the distractions and keep the dialogue going.
3. Talk Some more. Let's screw the distractions and keep the dialogue going. I was heartbroken after reading so many negative and racist comments on social media that justified another human being losing their life. There were attacks against people. Just downright justifications and hate. It really brought tears to my eyes. I'm so confused because it is 2016 and not 1954. Right?? I remember hearing this quote from my Pastor "Ignorance is a voluntary misfortune while privilege is very much prevalent". I'll never forget the first time I encountered someone who'd never met black people. It was my freshmen year in college and I was stunned that this young white guy had never experienced being around a diverse group of people. The more we began talking and growing, I learned that he was involuntarily ignorant. He grew up in a small rural farm town where there weren't any black people. Once we began talking, we realized we had so much in common. My homie! Forreal. We have to talk to everyone so that we can effectively share our experiences, our hurts and our victories. We have to talk to those who don't look like us and even if they share different opinions just know that empowerment comes with listening.
These 3 tips are just a stepping stone to let go of the rage, raise awareness about the movement and keep the issues relevant. We have to make it a priority. What can you do? I vow to continue talking with young people to help restore hope. I also vow to continue making white people uncomfortable. Your comfort isn't my priority, its the discomfort that I want to see break barriers.
Until next time,
Peace & Sweet Dreaming,
Kiylise Crutchfield, Chief Dream Engineer
Q&A:
1.)Share your opinions...
