Dear White People,
I had no intention of writing this blog or anything on this topic. But today, just days after George Floyd was so nonchalantly murdered by 4 Minneapolis police officers, I am completely heartbroken and outraged. How could this happen? In broad daylight, several bystanders watched as a man kneeled with his hands in his pocket while he dug his knee into another man’s neck without an expression of guilt, remorse, or sadness.
**I thought about inserting a photo here so that you can visualize how monstrous this act of evil was. But I choose to honor George and show him as a strong, confident, and valuable black man.**
I should not live in fear, but the truth of the matter is I’m terrified. How could I not be?
I am scared that my son will go on his morning run and not come back. I’m scared to let my teenager do normal teenage boy things, like go to the mall, the skating rink, or to the neighborhood park to play basketball with his friends. I am scared that my husband will go to Publix to pick up simple items that I forgot from the grocery store and never come back. I’m scared that I will be brutalized by the police and the world will sweep it under the rug like so many other black women and will end up on this site urging people to Say Her Name.
I’m scared that the people who are paid by my tax dollars and who took an oath of responsibility to protect and serve are the very people that I, my precious son, and husband will need protection from. I am scared that the people I exchange waves with on my routine runs through our neighborhood will see us as a threat in a different environment. I’m terrified that my family will be on the news holding a photo of me.
This is a disgrace! All I can do is stay in constant prayer of protection, grace, and mercy. More than likely, if you do not have the same thoughts, you have what’s called privilege. Something that moms who look like me will never experience. I am urging you to use that privilege to protect my son.
God Blessed Us
There is a family in our small town that I am certain God brought into our lives to show us that there are good humans in this world, that do not necessarily look like us. During a conversation with a friend about how surreal our current reality is, I casually mentioned how curious I am about how uncomfortable my white friends must feel in a time like this. They don’t know what to say around us. They’re scared to speak out, fearful of how their opinions will be frowned upon among their peers. They don’t know how their views will be received by black folks. Just hours later, after having this conversation, the daughter of the family that God brought into our lives created an Instagram post that reads:
Instagram Caption
Anyone who claims to be in light but hates a brother or sister is still in darkness; Anyone who loves their brother or sister lives in light.”- 1 John 2:9-10. I can run without fear; I can drive without fear, and I can simply cash a check without fear. I’ve come to the realization that not everyone lives a “fearless” life and that is wrong. It’s disheartening that right now, in 2020, the color of someone’s skin is a determining factor of how they are treated. Hate is prevalent in not only America, but the world. Justice deserves to be given to those who have lost.With that being said, we MUST love regardless of who you are, THE COLOR OF YOUR SKIN, what you identify as, what you believe or where you come from. To my younger brothers: I want you to always stand up for what is right, regardless of if anyone is standing with you. Love passionately, truly and freely. Be the difference that the world desperately needs and be the strong voice for those who can not speak. This has to stop. We all bleed the same. ✊🏻✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿#justicforahmaud #justiceforgeorge
Mixed Emotions
Wow! Reading the post, I immediately burst into tears. Happy tears, sad tears, mad tears, proud tears. Happy because my questions were answered and not everyone is afraid to speak out. Sad because it is a rarity for a white person to speak out about injustices. Sad because this should be a common response to cruelty to any human, and it is not common at all. Mad because there should never be a post like this but in our country, this is a frequent occurrence and we have to make a post like this to bring awareness.
Proud! Proud because there are adults that would have an internal battle about how, when, or if they should speak out, and this young woman decided to stand up for what’s right and what’s just and didn’t think of the consequences of posting something like this, but the consequence if she didn’t.
I’ve known this family for about a year now. And in this short time, they have supported and stood up for my family on more than one occasion. They are raising their children the way all parents should raise their children. I also cried tears of happiness. Happy that when my son enters high school next year, he will have a courageous, compassionate, and supportive ally there with him.
Dear White People
So here is what you can do to stand with us:
Speak up and Speak out!
If this 17-year-old girl can be courageous enough to stand up for what is right without thinking twice, you as an adult should be an advocate without hesitation.
See my son as your son.
This is not a black and white issue, see it for what it really is, and that is a human issue. Put your son in the place of Trayvon, Eric, Ahmaud, George, Freddie, Sandra, Sam, Philando, Breonna, Mike, Tamir, Terence, Alton, Walter, Tony, Laquan, Anthony, Alonzo…. Your child! Only at that point will you have true empathy and understand that my son is also a human being that deserves life just like your son.
Talk to your children about racism.
You teach your children “not to see color” and you’re not raising them racist, so you assume they’re not right? WRONG! Color exists and is the sole reason that our friends and family members are being murdered. You need to explicitly teach them how wrong racism is.
Build meaningful relationships with black families.
Let your children see our children as their best friends. Be intentional about exposing them to diverse groups of people.
Don’t watch… fight!
This goes for blacks, whites, and everyone in-between. You can’t sit back and watch the injustice happen. We can’t continue to pull out our phones and record. It’s time to protect ourselves and our human rights.
Dear Caroline and Family
Even while writing this, I am still in tears. With completely mixed emotions. I’m furious at the situation, I am proud of this young woman, I am terrified for my son and husband, I am numb. Caroline, you are an amazing young woman. To have you in our lives is an honor. I want to thank you in advance for supporting and advocating for my son as he enters high school. And to your parents… I have 2 simple words for you… THANK YOU!
This is Your Responsibility
So, dear white people, we (black people) did not create this, nor are we encouraging it. We can speak up, organize protests, raise awareness among our people, and even vote. However, things will not change unless you stop enabling your white brothers and sisters. Putting an end to these inhumane crimes is not our responsibility, it is yours!
WILL YOU STAND WITH ME?
With a broken heart,
Mommi Mykal
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