The Shift
June is my birth month. Normally, I'm super excited and have all these plans, but this year is obviously different. I have been overwhelmed with so many emotions these past few weeks, including fatigue (both emotional and mental mostly because of how America on the whole still treats Black people after all these years).
I am currently the same age as Breonna Taylor would have been, had she made it to her next birthday. Breonna, an essential worker was killed in her home by Louisville Metro Police Department officers, when they busted into her home without knocking, shooting her eight times. Her story is unfortunately one of many stories where a black person's life unnecessarily ends after an encounter with police.
Seeing people who look like me repeatedly killed or mistreated by those who are supposed to protect us without provocation or reason over and over again is traumatic. It's exhausting. It's painful. It makes me mad, sad and scared.
With all the bad news and events 2020 has brought, in between the headlines and tears, I see a shift. Recently, I've seen people across the world galvanized for change. People are marching, calling their local officials, donating to help peaceful protestors get out of jail, big corporations are finally speaking up and calling for an end to these too frequent injustices, universities are refusing to employ state and city police officers, and it's making a difference. We're making some progress.
In this chaos, I've had joyful moments.
Things that have brought me joy recently include:
the road leading to the White House being renamed "Black Lives Matter Plaza"
Seeing a 7 year old Black girl lead people in a peaceful protest chant
the NFL saying they were wrong not allowing their players to peacefully protest
George Floyd's and Ahmaud Arbery's killers being charged
When I take the time to still my mind and think about it, the list of things that have brought me joy even during this time is long, but it takes me looking for them to experience the joy.
I'm challenging you to look for those things in your life that bring you joy and work to be a joy bringer to your community as well. Everyone has a role to play in the Shift, pick one that comes natural to you and get to work.
When I consider the current events and look at the change that is being demanded across the world, I am filled with admiration and pride for everyday people. The bulk of the work in fighting for the fair treatment of Black Americans originated from ordinary people seeking change, not politicians (local, state or national leaders). These brave, driven individuals decided not to wait for change, but instead to create change. Further, there is diversity in those who are fighting for change. It’s not just young Black Americans fighting. It’s hispanic, asian, white, and older people fighting to make a difference. As I watch in amazement, my grief began to lighten and I started to wonder where I fit in the fight for justice. Yes, I could march, but that did not feel authentic to me. Thoughts of wondering “if I wasn’t marching was I doing enough?” begin to rise. And then someone posted a diagram and descriptions called “Mapping Our Roles in A Social Change Ecosystem” created by Deepa Iyer. Essentially the diagram shows the different roles in the fight for equity, inclusion, liberation, justice, solidarity, resiliency and interdependency.
There are ten different roles in the fight according to Deepa:
Weavers
Experimenters
Frontline Responders
Visionaries
Builders
Caregivers
Disruptors
Healers
Storytellers
Guides
I won’t go in to detail because Deepa Iyer already did, but the point of me sharing is just to let you know that you have a role in the good fight if you choose. Nothing you may choose to do is too small, and each action you take can make a difference. Everyone does not have to march, but everyone can do something.