With the recent tragedies in the murders of Alton Sterling, Philander Castile, and Dallas police officers, I believe I speak for many of us when I say that I am tired. Tired of the violence, of opening Twitter to see another hashtag, tired of people abusing their power, and much more.
People are scared, and that is heartbreaking, but they have reason to be scared, and that is even more heartbreaking. People of color are profiled a certain way because of the pigmentation in our skin. I see it everywhere. A dark skinned girl must be less educated than a light skinned girl, a dark man must have a violent background, etcetera. People may not actively have such beliefs, but racism is real, and many people are subconsciously so.
What the Black Lives Matter movement is trying to do is bring attention and awareness to modern day, systemized racism. Black Lives Matter does not mean that black lives matter more than any other lives. It does not mean that one race is superior to others. It does not mean that we do not care about other lives. It purely means that black lives, in reality, are at a higher, more dangerous risk than others so we must pay attention to them right now to make improvements.
It is refreshing to see my peers promoting the Black Lives Matter movement on social media. It makes me proud to know that the people I associate with have their minds set on equality, fairness, and social justice. Unfortunately, it is also saddening when I see some of my peers' silence.
The white ladies and gentlemen that fetishize dating people of color are silent. The white ladies and gentlemen who say hair is "just hair" so they can sport dreads and braids are silent. The white ladies and gentlemen who call themselves black for listening to rap music are silent. If you all love black culture so much, why are you quiet? Now is when we need you to stand behind us. This is where you show love.
To be silent in times like these is to accept what is happening. Actions speak louder than words, but your silence is almost deafening. There is power in speaking your mind. Voicing opinion starts a conversation, and conversation sparks change. No progress has ever been made by people waiting quietly. Every voice matters, no matter where it comes from.
There is power in speaking up, and there is power in diversity. You do not need to be a person of color to be upset. Social injustice should bother everybody, regardless of color. We need to unite as one diverse group to make a real difference, and we cannot do that with silence. Your voice matters, so say what you feel and learn from one another.
