Black Lives Matter
I have read a few posts over the past few days that have made me extremely hopeful in the midst of this great despair. I have personally experienced racism as early as primary school here in Cayman. It is something within our families that we are educated to overcome, mostly by trying to ensure we are smarter, faster and overall the top performer in whatever we do. Now, I know there are some inherent drawbacks to this school of thought and I only share to give context to my personal experience.
I read a post this morning on Facebook by someone I admire greatly who doesn’t look like me, who probably hasn’t had the same experiences I have had in my lifetime, yet reading her journey through thinking about posting something that brought her joy but found herself hesitating given all that is happening, was something that I could totally relate to.
Because although since George Floyd’s murder, I have been promoting education and awareness around what our brothers and sisters are experiencing in the US currently, I too each day since have battled with whether or not me posting a funny meme or a corny joke is appropriate given the current climate.
And I agree with her. We are allowed to be both. We are allowed to share our pain and disgust over what has transpired and we are allowed to still share the things that bring us joy on a daily basis.
Standing in solidarity against the blatant injustices that have been around for decades but now have been made trendy because of social media, does not mean you cannot share the things that bring you joy too. I think it’s important for us to be able to see racism and its systemic roots, acknowledge it, be intentional about not being a part of the problem and make an effort to shoulder the pain and struggle of those who are made victim to it daily until a solution is found.
But silence, silence is not an option.
We shouldn’t allow trends to dictate how we feel or what we do. Racism was wrong from its inception and it is still wrong today.
As a Believer, I have a responsibility to create space for people to be authentic in their hurt.
I have a responsibility to ensure that they know they are loved and that even when I can’t fully understand the extent of their pain, that I make time and room to sit and feel it with them.
It is my responsibility to let them know that they don’t have to rush their healing process, that they don’t have to hurry and get over it.
It is my responsibility to walk with them through a journey of reconciliation when their hearts are ready to do so and not a minute before.
“Nobody's free until everybody's free”. - Fannie Lou Hamer
I am extremely proud of the people that I have had the opportunity to meet and now call friends in some way, shape or form. I stand with my brothers and sisters of colour and say speak your truth even when its uncomfortable for many to hear it. I stand with my white brother and sisters who are brave and courageous enough to realise the privilege that their skin tone has brought them and have decided to stay silent no more.
"Sometimes it seem like to tell the truth today is to run the risk of being killed. But if I fall, I'll fall five feet four inches forward in the fight for freedom. I'm not backing off." - Fannie Lou Hamer
"When I liberate myself, I liberate others. If you don't speak out ain't nobody going to speak out for you." - Fannie Lou Hamer
May we continue to be kind to each other and make room for healing, education and reconciliation. May we for once, not major in the minors. May we fully understand that Black Lives Matter is not a divisive movement but rather it is a call to the awareness of the dangerous and sinister lie that those who rebut with the statement - “shouldn’t it be #AllLivesMatter” have bought into.
With Love
Latoya - Da Dreama