Silence Is No Longer An Option

I try to stay away from talking about politics on most of my digital platforms. Based on experiences in the past, meaningful conversation can rarely be had and opinions can rarely be altered while debating online. But, there are certain moments where it’s unacceptable to be silent. In fact, right now, staying silent is blatantly selfish and exposes my white privilege. I see that now. I read a poem yesterday that made a big impact on how I can make a difference in the last few days, and I’d like to share it with you today:

Empathy:

“Let me hold

the door for you.

I may have never walked

in your shoes, but I can see

your soles are worn,

your strength is torn

under the weight of a story

I have never lived before.

Let me hold the door for you.

After all you have walked through, it is the least I can do.”

Morgan Harper Nichols

The #BlackLivesMatter movement needs everyone to stand up to racism and demand real and profound change. It’s not enough to like a few Facebook posts or Snapchat some inspirational quotes. I’m committed to helping this movement gain and sustain as much momentum as possible. Here are a few ways you can help if you feel uncomfortable protesting:

• VOTE this November. 58% of eligible Americans voted in the Presidential election in 2016. We desperately need to do better. While you’re at it, remember to vote for candidates that fight for systematic change in local elections, the house, and the senate. Make your voice heard. Every vote counts.

• Listen and show empathy to the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Don’t just consume news media and call it a day. If you're truly interested in genuine change, the most important development you can make is investing in education and understanding.

• Hold businesses and corporations accountable for silence. Silence is no longer an option.

• Share images and videos that will help move the conversation away from “us vs them.” This narrative will continue to divide when we need this country to come together to fight the justice system and systematic racism.

• Donate to Black Lives Matter: You can find the main donation page here.

• Get involved with your local BLM chapter: The full list is here.

• Donate to a bail fund: Some Twitter users are crowd-sourcing lists of local organizations that help bail out protesters who get arrested. Thread here.

• Support the National Police Accountability Project: This group, a project of the National Lawyers Guild, helps people find legal counsel. More info here.

• Support Campaign Zero, a police reform group that has been working on policy solutions “informed by data and human rights principles. More info here.

• Sign these petitions and others you see online: Civil rights group Color of Change launched a petition asking that all the officers involved in Floyd’s death are brought to justice. Find it here. The “Justice for George Floyd” petition on Change.org already has 8.5 million supporters. That sends a big message. Find it here.

• Advocate for mental health intervention. The part of this discussion that continues to be woefully unnoticed is how many victims of police brutality also have mental conditions. Some reports say that at least half of all police shooting victims struggled with some form of serious mental health crisis. An important part of saving lives is creating more resources to help people experiencing these issues, especially in poor neighborhoods and Black and Brown communities. 

• Help good police officers speak up. Right now, America has separated "pro-police and anti-black" or "anti-police and pro-black," but a lot of good officers are being caught in the crossfire of being loyal to their comrades and being loyal to the public trust. 

I know I’m missing some action items, and I will be updating this list as I see new ways of helping the movement.

In 2016, I shared this post on my Facebook page, which I stand by wholeheartedly today:

November 9th, 2016

Dear America,

2016 isn’t the first time our country has been deeply divided. We are 240 years old. If history has shown us one thing, it’s that we will find a way to fight for what we believe in. This is an unprecedented time in a world that’s changing at an exponential rate. A Trump presidency may be the alarm clock that many Americans need. To force real change, more Americans need to have an unbiased, open-minded political education. Research with an open-mind, have productive debate, think for yourself rather than what your family or friends think, read, be a world citizen, look at our own history, and actually care about the future. This isn’t a joke. This is a wake-up call for the masses of this country to force real change. Together.

I’ve had some time to gather my thoughts about what has taken place in the last 24 hours, and I have a few things that I need to share. To begin, anyone who knows me will tell you that I tend to take an optimistic approach to the negativity and adversity that takes place in my life. My attitude is focused on looking beyond the immediate bad, and seeing how we fight to get to the long term good. I’m proud of that, and I will continue to have this attitude for the rest of my life. Yet, after the result of the presidential election, I could do nothing but focus on the disappointment, the pessimism, and the hopelessness I felt about the future of our country. It’s been a tough 24 hours for millions of Americans, and many are scared, angry, and disappointed with the direction we're now going. I’m one of them. But putting my head down won’t do anything to change the result of the election.

Just this morning several small acts of courage from other students at UO stood out to me. When walking to class, I passed a whiteboard filled with inspiring and uplifting quotes. In the center of the board, one quote stood out among all the others:

“You belong in this country.
You matter no matter what
Regardless of the color of your skin,
Who you love,
How you express your gender,
What sex you are,
Where you come from,
What religion you practice,
What languages you speak,
You, and your voice, matter. And you are loved.”

A Trump presidency doesn’t define who we are as a country. In some of our toughest times, we didn’t quit. We didn’t just put our heads down and decide that hate will overpower love. Fuck no. Instead, America will respond. Martin Luther King Jr once said that “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” In a time of confusion and turmoil, the American people will step up to fight for what we believe in.

I’m proud to be an American, and I’m ready to fight for what I believe in. I will fight for my vision of what will make America great again, and I hope Americans everywhere will fight for a better future.

Are you on the right side of history?"