I ’ve been searching for something to make me feel better about what’s going on right now with police brutality, racism, and Black Lives Matter. I haven’t watched the video of George Floyd’s killing. I’ve seen pictures, but I won’t watch moving images. I don’t want to see it. It just touched the core of all Black people. We are sick and tired of it! A police officer is meant to be our protector. Instead, in this case, he kneeled on another man’s neck, a man calling out for his mom, saying “I can’t breath”. I am further disgusted that there are three other officers standing there that did nothing to support Floyd. Many questioned how this could happen. Truthfully, this has been happening for so long; only this time it’s finally in front of them – as in those not a part of the Black community, in such a blatant and obvious way, no one could turn away from it. In all of this, I was looking to find something that would tell the truth about what’s going on.
In all of this, I was looking to find something that would tell the truth about what’s going on.
I found that H.E.R’s song “I Can’t Breath”, told the truth without holding anything back. She just spoke from the heart. My favorite part of the song was her spoken-word piece. At the end of it, she talks about seeing us as Black people for who we are. Don’t pretend that we’re not Black or talk about being colour blind. When you see us, actually see us, know us, understand us, and understand the struggles that we’ve been through.
One of my goals for turning 50 in August was to run a half marathon. But when I heard what happened to George Floyd, the next day I ran a half marathon. I wanted my body to feel the discomfort, the pain, the struggles you have to push through. I had just started training; I was planning to run the half marathon in August. However, this happened in June and it was my first run. It was hard, I had to struggle through. My body ached and I wanted to give up but I couldn’t give up.
The next day I ran a half marathon; I wanted my body to feel the discomfort, the pain, the struggles you have to push through.
When we heard and saw George Floyd’s experience someone said, “it must have been so uncomfortable for him”. I had to do my half-marathon because I had to feel some of the discomfort that he felt. I also want the world to feel uncomfortable and continue to feel uncomfortable. It’s so uncomfortable for many White people to see and understand the struggles that we’ve been through. We need to continue to make them feel uncomfortable… To make ourselves feel uncomfortable so that we can make changes.
Don’t stop sending and reposting things on social media because your White friends might think it’s too much. Keep doing it! Support things like July 7th – Blackout day. As a Black person or White person or whoever is going to support, we have to make sure that we start hitting all the big corporations in their pocketbooks. If we don’t do that, changes that need to be made will not be made. I’m the only Black person at my organization, and after not hearing a statement about what was going on, I sent an email to the head of the team stating: “your silence is deafening. I have two Black sons and a Black daughter; I’m worried about their lives and I want you to be worried about their lives as well. I want to feel supported and for you to understand that my Black life matters”. That email has started a conversation that has resulted in some change in the company. So, I just don’t want us as Black people to calm down and say we’re not doing this anymore. We need to continue pushing for change.
Understand that my Black life matters
Listening to songs like “I Can’t Breath” by H.E.R gives you the fight.
Dian
Alberta, Canada