Why is this happening? It’s because of us.
This has been happening in America since day one, and long before. It is halfway through 2020, and there has not been enough reform. There has been no action to fix things. There have been more and more senseless deaths. More persecution, racism, and white supremacy. More police brutality. More action against African Americans and other targeted, marginalized minorities, rather than action to support them.
We do not get to decide how the oppressed protest. Especially when peaceful protests have been attempted over and over again throughout the years, only to fall on deaf ears and blind eyes of those who wish to remain safe from discomfort in their privilege and ignorance. So, of course, riots have begun. Looting and the destruction of property have started. These are legitimate forms of protests. These are people who need to be heard. They need to be seen. They are screaming, pleading with a country who has done nothing but ignore and betray them. Put yourself in their shoes. They’re devastated. Exhausted. Angry. Tired of grieving. Tired of being afraid of doing the things we would find mundane, and still be targeted and killed. And they have every right to be. As white Americans, we can’t even begin to understand or truly empathize with the turmoil and persecution African Americans have gone through to get to this point today. But, even still, try to imagine it had happened to you. A friend. A family member. Would you not want justice? Would you not result to such actions after you’ve been continuously ignored, and your voices yet to be heard?
“…it is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to do that without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society. These conditions are the things that cause individuals to feel that they have no other alternative than to engage in violent rebellions to get attention. And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it America has failed to hear? It has failed to hear that the plight of the negro poor has worsened over the last twelve or fifteen years. It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice and humanity.” Martin Luther King Jr., 1968
How can it be that the same words, the same issues from over 50 years ago are still as relevant today as they were back then?
Why is this happening? It’s not, solely, because of cops. Just as we can’t blame an entire race for a the misdeeds of a few, we cannot blame the entire police force. Of course there are good cops. There are so many stories of cops who have been joining in on the protests and supporting their citizens just as there are stories of cops who have been instigating the violence in the streets. But there are also bad cops, an despicable amount of them, ones who abuse their authority, and have continue to cause an excruciating amount of pain. More killings of unarmed civilians, driving cars into crowds, going down the street attacking people (including men, women, children and elderly) without any provocation, assaulting and arresting journalists or medical workers who are only doing their jobs, just to call out a few examples. These cops think they can use their position of power, just like many in the government do, to act on their personal prejudices and racism, because they work for a system that allows them to. While they are not the core of the problem, they are, absolutely, a substantial part of the problem.
Why is this happening? It’s not so people can burn cities to the ground. It’s because this country has pushed African Americans far enough to get to these escalated forms of protest. Riots are only a symptom of the problem, not the problem itself. To those who would rather focus on the riots and looting, you should instead be focusing on the injustice that is behind the riots and looting. You should not be putting more value on property, merchandise, and money over the value of a life, a human being. Instead, try to focus on the why—the horrific amount of deaths and injustice it has taken to get us here. People are crying out for help, this country can no longer shut them out. And it’s sad, because there are other people out there who are taking advantage of an awful situation. While the majority of protestors and supporters have gone after large corporations that symbolize a system that has been built against them, others have gone after small businesses or any place of business they can find, simply because they can. And the majority of these assholes happen to be white.
Why is this happening? It’s because of us. It’s because America has not done better, or enough. It’s because of the devastating amounts of loss of life and injustice towards African Americans. It’s because we, as a country, have not listened. We have not helped. We have pushed a people beyond their breaking points a thousand times over and over again.
So, what do we do? We DO NOT stay silent. We DO NOT let the injustice continue. We DO NOT accept any more loss of life. We DO NOT accept any further racism. Instead, we promote anti-racism. We call others out on their ignorance and prejudice. We acknowledge we have been sheltered by our own privilege, and we work to do better. We listen. We help. We advocate. We learn and educate ourselves. We talk to our friends and family members so they, too, learn and understand. We help make African American voices heard. We let them know they are seen, known, accepted, and loved. And we ask them what they need from us.
Some ways we can help.
Places to donate.
Educate yourself and others.
