Sometimes words can’t convey all emotions from anger, sadness, frustration, anxiety amongst thoughts and feelings in an often hateful world. Music provides a myriad of ways to try and I’m always thankful for that.
Needless to say, the couple of weeks have and this week in particular very trying leaving me drained. My heart is heavy once again, just pondering the fact that hundreds of years of injustice and racism in this country seems to have no end in sight with not enough done to some police officers who do not protect nor serve but use the power of the badge to kill along while we also have racist vigilantes hunting down a young man jogging. Several years ago I started a blog on the murder of Sandra Bland (disguised to look like a suicide) Bland was stopped for not signaling on a lane change, not the type of offense that should end in death of a vibrant women who had herself spoken on injustice. Her death recalled an incidents I’ve personally experienced that I’ve never publicly spoke on, one involving a situation for an alleged offense that didn’t happen. It was too hard for me to put all of my thoughts into words and so I never finished it, I think of her from time to time and it’s just sad.
There are so many of these tragic stories. George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery are the latest victims to an ever growing list. I mean even Trayvon Martin’s killer, another vigilante (I refuse to say his name) was acquitted when the kid was just out to get an ice tea and Skittles. I have a daughter and son though even if I didn’t, as a human being these realities can’t help but bring anxiety to anyone with a heart. I’ve lived in Los Angeles most of my life and remember the Watts riots that occurred prior to our moving there, the riots in the aftermath of the Rodney King beating acquittals in 1992 going on the Stevie Wonder owned station KJLH along with Denzel Washington and many others to try to calm things down as the area where I went to high school was being set ablaze. As a little girl living in Washington D.C. at the time, vividly still remember the riots in the city after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
I’ve signed petitions as always, called, texted the appropriate public officials to add in public pressure and I encourage you all to do so too – but as we know justice is not always served and there’s often little accountability but we have to keep pushing. We must continue to do our part and in the midst of fighting for what’s right – and not forget the good that does exist at the same time, the good within us as individuals beyond those who are filled with hate.
If needed for our wellness limit intake of the vitriol and outrage recognizing some get off on on social media – seeing our collective pain, a thousand posts from us is just a cycle – likes, clicks, hashtags – we need others in other races and walks of life and especially those in power to channel all of these acts of racism and inequality in the system into action for change.
Horrific photos of the brutal murder of Emmett Till, just a black boy falsely accused by a whole woman in the 40’s hasn’t evoked change in the hearts and minds of racists, apologists, elected officials and portions of the population – what will?
The Healing. Yes – it’s beyond time.
Stay safe everyone.
