In response to Alton Sterling’s and Philando Castile’s murders by police, I want to share some thoughts, particularly with my fellow white Americans.
Benjamin Franklin once said, “Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.” That’s an important reminder. The Black Lives Matter movement exists to remind white Americans of the value of black lives. We are the ones who seem to be forgetting that, especially when we attempt to replace “black lives” with “all lives.” Black police officers are not systematically murdering white Americans. They don’t need a reminder that all lives matter. We, as white Americans, seem in desperate need of a reminder that black lives matter.
I want to start by saying that reading about and watching horrifying videos of police murdering our fellow Americans does not mean that we understand what it means to be terrorized by your own state. We don't. Our privilege protects us from that experience. I do hope, however, that the few who haven't yet recognized the gravity of the situation are finally forced to confront it as they read about and bear witness to these horrific crimes against humanity. I hope that every one of us wakes up into action, not just consciousness.
Action means that we ought to be addressing and fighting the people who continue to try to excuse these executions as anything other than murder, finding and demanding alternative ways of policing that no longer sanction or permit this type of behavior, standing up against victim blaming, teaching our children better, and demanding better from our neighbors and families. We also need to be allies in real time, though, not just on social media. If you cross the street every time you see a black man, you're part of the problem. Instead, you should be walking beside that person, who is also your neighbor.
Find ways to use your privilege to affect change. Remember that it is not black people who need to change to solve this crisis... It's us. This is our problem. We created it. We need to solve it. Because every day we don't, innocent black lives are lost because we use our privilege to remain apathetic, or to post our thoughts on Facebook but not say them out loud to the people we know need to hear them most. It's easy to unfriend the bigots we know, but instead, we have a responsibility to educate them. That should not have to be the burden of the black community, though we too often let it fall on their shoulders. Do your part. Don't look away. Address it. Take action. And not just today, because it feels raw once again. And not just when it's easy. Argue with your grandma or your policeman neighbor or the person you know who says they're not racist but still defends these executions as somehow reasonable. The black community does not have the privilege of ignoring these murders or "moving on" until they stop. We should not either.
