Dear White Friends…
Dear White Friends,
I CAN’T BREATHE! Enough is enough! My life and the lives of all black people are at stake. I am asking you to take action. If you are my friend, then this is a simple request. Please do something to stop the madness. A first step is to be aware of your role in this madness. As you go about your day today, I ask that you pay attention to what happens in your body and mind when a black person is in your presence or when you see the events on the news. Seriously, really notice what happens in your body. I am asking you to notice your emotions, physical reactions and your thoughts because these are the things that influence your decision to inflict harm on black people. Inflict harm with your words and your actions.
As a child born in the 60’s during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, my earliest memories of what it means to be a black person has been the struggle, the pain and the suffering of people who looked just like me. The struggle to be afforded the rights and opportunities of a citizen of this country. The images I saw as a child back then of black people being beaten, sprayed with water and attacked by dogs have only shifted slightly. Today, I see a black man on the ground handcuffed with the knee of a white police officer on his neck. A knee that blocks the air that breathes life into him until he is no more, until we are no more. That black man could be my husband, my son, my son-in-law, or my grandsons. That black man could also be me. I CAN’T BREATHE!
Can you imagine what it is like to go through life always, every single day, having to wonder about your own safety? Fearing the people who are supposed to protect you. No, actually, you can’t fathom it because you have never had to consider that as a way of life. I don’t fault you, I just ask that you rise up and do what is right to stop this from being the way of life for me, the black men I love with all my heart and soul, my grandchildren, and all black people. Please do something so that this is not the way of life for our children. They deserve to grow up in an environment in which they can thrive and not be afraid. They deserve to feel safe when they go out for a jog, when their car breaks down, when they take a walk in the park, or when they are just relaxing in their home. I CAN’T BREATHE!
The ball is in your court, my white friends. The knee on my neck is suffocating me. I CAN’T BREATHE! What actions will you take to restore my air supply?
Best,
Rhonda