In response to George Floyd’s death and the ensuing reactions, many voices are voluntarily and involuntarily silent. However, as I saw on one banner, “silence is violence.” So, what do you do? What first steps can you take in pursuit of equality and an end to racism in our society? How do you begin the journey to that desired future state?
For me, the journey has begun, if not by action, but in recognition of what I am feeling. What emotions have I had in response to the different events of the last two weeks? Am I accepting of those feelings and can I use them to energize action for justice and accountability? When will the voices of the “unheard” truly be heard? Is there a genuine desire for understanding? And, when will there be positive change?
I was energized and uplifted by the increasing number of peaceful protests, bringing renewed attention to the ongoing issue of police accountability. Happy and thankful is what I felt when seeing people of all walks of life, assisting to clean up the devastation in impacted neighborhoods. I felt a confirmation of my belief that the vast majority of people want to do the right thing. In collaboration, we desperately need leaders and systems to support those individual efforts.
So many feelings and emotions in a relatively short period of time. I can only echo what Martin Luther King said, “our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
What can we do? Get Psyched about speaking up on matters important to you!
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