For weeks, I’ve struggled with the “right way” to address this topic. “The right way” to address an issue that is so inextricably tied to my experience as a black woman who grew up in East Harlem. For the past month, I’ve read multiple articles and comments that show the disconnect between those who passionately chant “Black Lives Matter” and those who are on the outside looking in. So let me start off with a story:
On December 5, I was walking back to Upper with one of my friends and as we were walking up the stairs of the O’Neill Library, a group of white males were walking in the opposite direction. At first, I thought nothing of it but then I saw one of them rip down a poster that read “Black Lives Matter.” I was in so much shock that all I did was make eye contact with him as we passed each other. If that message isn’t clear enough then think about the many antagonizing things that have been posted in the past few weeks on Yik Yak or the comments you’ve heard people say that have gone unquestioned and tell me how I am supposed to chant “We are BC” and mean it?
I’m never going to get the chance to talk to the guy who ripped down that poster and ask him what he was thinking, ask him what has made him so frustrated that he felt the need to do that under the cover of his permissive friends, but I wish I could. There are those of us who are actively voicing our beliefs and serving as allies, while people like the one guy I encountered are resting comfortably behind their own ignorance. The deaths of Mike Brown and Eric Garner point to deep seeded issues in our society that aren’t going to just go away overnight.
At the end of the day, none of the protests and forums that have been held on campus will make a difference if people don’t show up. So show up. Watch the open letter that FACES made, actually read the articles your friends have flooded your timeline with, bring it up in class, ask questions or maybe just listen. Listen to people’s stories. Accept the fact that you may come from a position of privilege that will make it hard for you to understand why people view the recent cases of police brutality the way that they do. Regardless of what you do, just show up.
Each member of our community has a unique experience and perspective that they bring to the table when we talk about this issue, and if you continue to shelter yourself from an opinion you might not necessarily agree with, then you’re missing the bigger picture. We’re in the midst of a defining moment in our country and we have the opportunity to decide how BC will contribute to the conversation. Rise above your own insecurities and be a part of the solution, not the problem.
Click here to watch the FACES video.
Photo Sources:
http://realtalkissues.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/black-lives-matter.jpg
http://robert-nieves.tumblr.com; http://instagram.com/http://instagram.com/l2unaway_