In my sophomore year of college, I was returning from a late-night run to pick up some In-N-Out with two friends, one was African-American (sitting in the passenger seat) and the other was white (the driver). In turning into the parking lot outside of where we lived, we were pulled over by the cops. Seeing as it was a Friday night, they were likely looking to catch drunk drivers – something we didn’t have to worry about.
Nonetheless, we were still nervous like most people are when they get pulled over. Immediately my friend on the passenger side put his hands on the dashboard and instructed our friend driving to put his on the steering wheel. At first, I wondered why this was the case but soon found out this makes the cops less anxious as they approach the car.
This was something that I never had to remotely worry about before but clearly my African-American friend did as it was almost instinctual for him. This wasn’t because he got into trouble, but rather he was taught what to do to stay safe.
The events that have unfolded over the last few weeks are just an expression of the systemic injustices the African-American community has faced for the last 400 years.
In 2016 Will Smith said, “Racism isn’t getting worse, it’s getting filmed.” This has never been more clear as we see the systematic and unchecked authority of cops in videos. We’ve seen them fire gas at peaceful protestors; push over an elderly man, causing a cracked skull and leaving him bleeding on the sidewalk; and officers telling other marked police vehicles to “run them over” and “shoot those mother f*ckers” when blocked by a crowd of protestors.
George Floyd was stopped and killed for a $20 forged bill, meanwhile, an SMU professor said years ago he was stopped for the same thing and let off. He said that’s a story he sometimes tells at parties and when he first heard about Floyd’s death it “hit him like a ton of bricks.”
Breonna Taylor was in her own home when cops from Louisville Metro broke in and shot her point blank thinking she was the suspect of a drug case. The suspect they were looking for was already in custody.
I don’t know about you but I’ve had trouble putting my phone down this week as video after video of police brutality surfaces on the internet. But this is not the focus we should have right now. Our mission should be to open our hearts when we can sometimes only feel hate for these oppressors and proceed with love – making change through peaceful but firm actions.
Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
MLK
Below I’ll go over what we can do to make an actual, quantifiable difference, but it all begins with where our hearts and minds are. Our actions should be out of our love for our brothers and sisters, not out of malice toward those who have committed crimes against our communities.
Donate to a Cause:
- The Equal Justice Initiative – Our family is matching donations.
- George Floyd Memorial
- Reclaim The Block – Defending, educating, and empowering those underserved.
- ACLU – Ending police brutality, demanding racial justice, and defending our right to protest.
- Community Justice Exchange – A community of bail funds for those who can’t afford them.
- Know Your Rights Camp– Kolin Kaepernick’s know your rights camp educates on how to interact with officers.
Protest:
Show up to a protest to voice your concerns and thoughts peacefully. This shows those in power what people truly care about and promote lawmakers to make a change. This is at the heart of every civil rights battle.
Sign a Petition: (It took me 2 minutes to sign all of these)
- Justice for George Floyd
- Hands Up Act
- Defund The Police
- National Action Against Police Brutality
- Stand With Breonna
- Justice for Ahmuad Arbery
- Justice for Belly Mujinga
- Justice For Tony McDade
Support Black Owned Businesses Through Watching Youtube Videos:
MOST IMPORTANTLY: Educate Yourself and Those Around You
It is time to have difficult conversations with ourselves and those around us. I didn’t understand my privilege when I sat in the car in the SMU parking lot but I do now. I understand that there’s a lot more that I have to learn and commit myself to doing so. Your friends and family may have differing opinions but help them see through love and compassion that caring for others and their well-being is the only way to live life. The conversations might not be easy but they are necessary.
Change is possible but only if we all hold each other to a higher stander. We can’t approach this problem with malice in our hearts but with an openness and willingness to transform. A journey of a thousand miles begins with one single step. Take that first step and then the next. You now have the opportunity to stand up and do what’s right. Be the change you wish to see in the world.