I’ve stayed silent because I wanted to learn, read, watch, and truthfully, not say the wrong thing or whittle this all down to a hashtag. But I’ve been reminded that saying nothing is often worse. I’ve started writing and stopped several times because I’ve felt speechless. But I’ve always chosen to write as a means to process, so here I am, a little late. I know most people don’t care what I have to say as an individual, but I think that it takes all of us individuals publicly saying something to make change, so here’s my something.
Almost 13 years ago I left the only town I’d ever called home to go to college in Birmingham, AL. Four years later, I graduated and decided to stay and make it my permanent home. I didn’t know or understand very much about the history of this city or the pain that it’s witnessed. Of course I’d studied the Civil Rights Movement in American history class in high school, but if I’m honest, it seemed like a distant memory that had long since faded.
Over the past decade, I’ve learned more, albeit not enough. I’ve witnessed through videos and news reports injustices I never thought possible to happen in this day and age. I now see that this ignorance and lack of understanding is my privilege — and I’ll never fully understand. But I’m outraged, and sad, and angry, and hurt for my friends who have known all along that this could, and maybe even known that this would happen.
To this city, to my community, to this country full of beautiful souls created in God’s image of every color, I love you, I support you, I stand with you, and I’m learning to empathize. We can and MUST do better and be better.
I want these injustices to stop NOW, but I also realize that we must work toward that. I’m reminded of Newton’s law of motion: an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.
I realize that it’s my job to educate myself and my children to be part of a generation that says that it stops here and now as we all stand together as an “unbalanced force.”
We cannot and will not be ignorant bystanders who hide away when we see sad or hard or tragic things. We MUST lean in, learn, empathize, fight, and hold accountable those who fail to see the dignity that every single human life deserves.
If I’m being transparent, I need help with this. I need my African-American brothers and sisters to help me see the path forward. But I’m openhanded asking for that, and I ask forgiveness for my ignorance now and before. I hope and pray you’ll give me the chance to walk forward with you as we seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly.
