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My stomach twists into knots and churns with nausea as I listen to a live stream of NBC Monday November 24, 2014. It's maddening. A man I'm unaware of drones on and on about how much deliberation was put into this case and tons on social media. I wait, almost hands over my ears for him to just be out with it. I know what he's going to say. No matter how much we all believed in the small glimmer of hope in the deepest pits of our stomachs to be true, we all knew what he was going to say. Of course I imagine my heart could not have fluttered with nearly as much angst and anticipation as the family and friends of Mike Brown who'd been waiting on this for the last hundred nights. Justice, as they call it, was to be served. Perhaps my definition of justice differs from theirs.
Then Obama came on. Ahh, the voice of reason. Someone who understands to come shed light upon what we all know is the reality. His eyes tell me he understands, because he has to. His eyes gleam a certain tired desperation that cannot make me believe that any of what came out of his mouth were any words of his, or remotely on the same wavelength as any words of his. They floated in the air false and detached from reality. They sat in the air like dust blown around Obama and the United States. Lost and false.
Then I took to the internet and saw the onslaught of support, love and fair share of ignorance from those who shall remain unnamed. Those who, as they sat in their privilege sipping red wine with their dog and husband complained about the destruction of property in the midst of a civil war unfolding in front of their eyes. Though who aimed to defend themselves, and not stop to listen. Those who claimed their opinions weren't viable because of their "race".
Black people have been silent for a long time. Since as far back as "history" will serve we see vast periods of no progression followed by chunks of heroic movements that set us forward. This is one of those moments.
I urge you reading this, for once, don't feel the need to share your opinion or two cents on what's happening in Ferguson. Just listen to them. Watch history unfold and pay attention. Learn. Your opinion about the "loss of property" is irrelevant and quite inappropriate at this time. I have nothing but the most sincere reverence for the people of Ferguson doing what they're doing now. This is so important. It's history. These are the people I pray the next generation of young people will learn about and emulate. Do not share your opinions about Mike Brown as a person, because realistically this has all elevated far passed just him. This is an issue for an entire group of people that have been oppressed for hundreds of years on no ground beyond the colour of their skin and the grade of their hair.
It's a time to act. And if you can't do that, it's a time to simply listen and understand.
It's finally time for the revolution, I suppose.
Then I took to the internet and saw the onslaught of support, love and fair share of ignorance from those who shall remain unnamed. Those who, as they sat in their privilege sipping red wine with their dog and husband complained about the destruction of property in the midst of a civil war unfolding in front of their eyes. Though who aimed to defend themselves, and not stop to listen. Those who claimed their opinions weren't viable because of their "race".
Black people have been silent for a long time. Since as far back as "history" will serve we see vast periods of no progression followed by chunks of heroic movements that set us forward. This is one of those moments.
I urge you reading this, for once, don't feel the need to share your opinion or two cents on what's happening in Ferguson. Just listen to them. Watch history unfold and pay attention. Learn. Your opinion about the "loss of property" is irrelevant and quite inappropriate at this time. I have nothing but the most sincere reverence for the people of Ferguson doing what they're doing now. This is so important. It's history. These are the people I pray the next generation of young people will learn about and emulate. Do not share your opinions about Mike Brown as a person, because realistically this has all elevated far passed just him. This is an issue for an entire group of people that have been oppressed for hundreds of years on no ground beyond the colour of their skin and the grade of their hair.
It's a time to act. And if you can't do that, it's a time to simply listen and understand.
It's finally time for the revolution, I suppose.