It’s a new fresh week. The sun is up. I found out yesterday there have been actual lynchings—you know, black people hanging from trees—in California since the protests: two known in the last 2 weeks. The latest is a young man from Palmdale & Victorville. It’s very sad.
Remember Rosa Parks’ refusal to sit down on the bus? How many times have we heard that story? It’s told so sweetly, but we forget the struggle.
The Montgomery bus boycott took a whole year from her initial act. African Americans in Montgomery had to coordinate in order to be able to financially boycott the busses while holding out for better treatment. They even created a makeshift black taxi service.
Friends, they boycotted for AN ENTIRE YEAR to see justice.
Snipers took shots at black bus riders out of anger. They tried to pick people off at bus stops and through bus windows.
Black people were terrorized for standing up for their rights. Can you imagine having to worry every day that you might get shot just for standing at a bus stop and being you? I can... because I lived with that exact fear every day for my entire childhood. Why? Because I had proof, historically and in my life, that people wanted to hurt me for not being white.
We’ve made good strides by protesting as a global commune this month. There are a ton of great mini victories in some of the stories of police brutality. There are beautiful images of people of all colors coming together. And I ENCOURAGE you to share in the comments the good things you’ve seen or heard.
But we’re not done.
A friend on my list posted something about All Lives Matter, and why can’t we make this a human thing? I’d like to say that of course, it is a human thing, but right now, my black brothers are being strung from trees without justice— and this is not a new thing.
This is absolutely a Black Lives issue. It is absolutely about the oppression and persecution of blackness. Regardless of your race, it is an ethical choice whether to turn a blind eye on a series of injustices stemming from human fear/hatred of blackness, or whether to acknowledge that something is wrong wherein persecution of a group of people can continue unchecked. Ethically would you be sitting on the fence if this was happening to your family?
If you’re Marching— please keep marching. Plan it into your long term schedule. Wear masks. Learn how to protect yourself from violence.
If you’re not Marching, remember there are many ways to create change, no matter what race or culture you are:
+ Talk to your friends + Examine your beliefs + Sign petitions + Spread your economic buying power to consciously support your beliefs + Vote (even if you are anarchist and planning to change the system)
+ Stand up for someone when you see them being treated wrong. Don’t let lynchings, or even bullying with the N word happen where your ears can hear. Be the Changemaker in your family, everyday. Every time.
+ Look up systemic racism on youtube
+ Figure out how to release your shame and fear— whether that is white shame or black shame doesn’t matter. It takes power from us all.
+ Stop posting memes that detract from or silence this movement for justice. That includes All Lives Matter. When Boston was hit by terrorists, you didn’t get upset at them for rallying city pride. When Sonoma was hit by fires and made Sonoma Strong, you did not rally and say “Stop it Sonoma, Don’t make it a Sonoma issue just becsuse your homes burned; America Strong!” If you see your friends do this with Black Lives Matter and you are a white ally, please message or call them up to have a real conversation. They need to get it on a deeper level like the rest of the world does, or nothing will change.
And the biggest thing— Don’t Give Up!
Pace yourself. Plan your activism into your day. Do it in a pace and a way that feels really true for you. But remember that real change happens through consistent action.
I saw a man at the garden center wearing a white power shirt yesterday. Do you know how much that disturbed and frightened me? It may seem inconsequential, but it’s not when my family members are the ones who die. it’s easy to turn a blind eye when it doesn’t affect you directly. We must be more conscious than that.
I will never be the one to convince that man that I am not a threat to his personal sense of power. It will take my white friends and allies in real conversation with him to help him understand that empowered black people are in no way a threat to his personal life and happiness.
We all have a role in combatting systemic racism. It’s a human rights issue. Don’t stop now.
❤️ Dailey
_____
DAILEY LITTLE is a healing practitioner, transformational life coach, ordained Priestess, and teacher who founded Healing Heart Reiki to help others navigate life with joy. She teaches classes in healing and mindset from a magical peaceful corner of the world in Northern California. For more info see: www.SantaRosaReiki.com