Strategize
I’ve said it before and I will say it again, “we can’t progress until we are unified and we need allies.” The reason South Africa was able to eradicate an apartheid was because they had a collective agenda that included a financial impact. Corporations began to divest in South Africa. The reason certain boycotts were effective was because it was a collective effort that affected a financial institution. In order for real change to occur, it has to affect our economy. It has to hurt financially. Most wealthy Americans, Black or otherwise are not trying to lose their wealth. They are willing to protect their pockets not matter the collateral damage. We aren’t unified. Yes, there are historical reasons for this, but we don’t all have the same goals. We don’t all want the same things. I've seen divisive posts about the Black LGBTQ community as if they aren’t Black first. I’ve seen disparaging posts about the disconnect between Black men and women…and yes there is a reason for that as well, but we have to strategize. We have to have an agenda. We have to get on the same page. We have to truly want the same thing. We can’t protest. We can’t boycott. We can’t be effective until we unify and strategize collectively.
Eradicate
e·rad·i·cate /əˈradəˌkāt/ verb
destroy completely; put an end to.
I’ve heard a lot of conversation about police defunding and reform. I agree that those things are necessary, but it’s bigger than that. We must eradicate systemic racism. In order to truly do that, we must also eradicate the systems that have benefited from racism. This is when you really can see results. This is when true change can occur. America was built on racism. Our economy was built on racism. Our laws are derived from racism. Our educational systems are rooted in racism. Our housing market is rooted in racism? What do we need to eradicate? Everything.
Ally
I’ve heard that we need allies. Ally comes from the Latin word alligare, meaning "to bind to," like nations who are allies in wartime — they will act together, and protect one another. Allies form alliances. They unite. They function on one accord. We do need unity. We do need voices of all creeds and cultures. We do need to act together. We must understand that if one group is suffering then we are suffering. If you are grieving, we are all grieving. If you hurt, I hurt. It's humanity. It’s brotherhood. Are we all not God's children? So let’s act like it. Then, we are allies.
Chatter
Falsely accused. Arrested. Not given a fair trial. Beaten. Condemned. Executed. This echoes too many stories of black people in this country. It echoes the story of a man who died on calvary over 2000 years ago. We have a collective history of violence. Our black bodies have been beaten and bruised since our arrival in this country. We have endured hardships and deliberate experimentation. We have been ostracized and sterilized. We have been sold promises of an unrealized American Dream. How many bodies must be stacked up in this nightmare on our street? So. We wake up and take to the streets in protest only to attest to rubber bullets fired in our direction. Tear gas choking us out. We can't breathe. You're on our necks like nooses from Southern trees. We will never have enough degrees cause we've never been given room...from the bottom decks of slave ships to concrete jungles in the sky to boardrooms. We've been groomed to grow roses in concrete. We learned to survive in gentrified neighborhoods that used to be our Black Wall Street. Everything we have...has been appropriated. We've always been on the frontlines. We were the calvary, infantry, and the air force. We understand excessive force oh too well. We've been hunted in Georgia since Antebellum days. We've nursed your babies and raised products of rape. Our blood turned Georgia clay Red. America has always redlined us with red tape. Outlined our bodies with chalk then gawk at us when we say black lives matter as if another name isn't added to the list from police radio chatter.
Enough
When is enough, enough? The signs have always been there lurking in the background. Fuel has been added. The country is on fire. The writing is on the wall. The bodies are adding up. The hate is real. The cheek has been turned. Not again. Not another name. What else needs to happen? Killer Mike said it best..."plot, plan, strategize, organize, and mobilize." If you don't know what that means, no worries. I got you. I will be breaking those down over the next few weeks. We got to be strategic. This is not the time to be in our feelings. Enough already!
Idols
One of the first lessons in Sunday School, besides the fall of Adam and Eve, was the story of the Ten Commandments. Every Easter, I would watch Charlton Heston part the Red Sea. Back then, idols were just big golden calf statues. I soon learned why there were so many idol references in the bible. Idols are things you worship. They are things you put before God. Most of us probably don’t think we have idols, but we do. We have made money our idol. We have put our jobs before our family. We have put our pursuit of wealth before our personal wellbeing. We have made social media an idol. We have made pleasure an idol. The bible says to put no other god before me. It's like God knows that we will make things more important than our relationship with him. He knows that we will choose entertainment over bible study. He knows we will choose to talk to our friends before we pray. The only way to turn away from idols is to first recognize we have them.
Mindfulness
Sometimes, we get so caught up in our routines that we don’t stop and smell the flowers. Smelling the flowers is literally the act of being mindful. Stop and appreciate the little things. Notice the wind on your face. Feel the sun warming your skin. Take a deep breath. Savor that bite of your favorite food. Kiss a little bit longer. Play with your kids. Mindfulness is just a subtle reminder of truly appreciating all of God’s creation.