Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay in posts. Life has been pretty hectic in the last two weeks with work. So hectic, that I’ve pushed aside my progress in Coursera, cut down drastically on my workouts, I haven’t hung out with my family as much, just to put in overtime hours at my full-time job. But, I decided to hop on and write about the current climate of our situation in America.
I think everyone can agree with me when we say that 2020 has been a wild year. It started out hopeful, then the coronavirus pandemic, quarantine lasting months, scary insects, and now there are riots happening in the streets of some neighborhoods. Following the horrific events of George Floyd’s passing due to police brutality, the people have decided that enough is enough. It is time that we really band together with our Black family and stand up for human rights and equality. We are standing together and fighting back to demand equality, and that the people who have done wrong pay for their actions. It has been overwhelmingly inspiring to say the least. My social media feeds are filled with information and links about petitions to sign, organizations to support, donation links, Black-owned businesses to buy from, other stories that the media fails to cover, and much more. There has been enough brutality and inequality towards our Black brothers and sisters!
The media is so powerful in today’s climate. One push of a button and that video or picture is available to anyone on the internet, all over the world. The posts on the internet also make it to other streams of media – like the news in some instances. Technology allows us to have the upper hand and speak up over many platforms for what we believe in. There is no excuse for not signing petitions, donating, reading, and inquiring with others when it is as easy as a click of a button. So far I have inquired with my friends online who are more versed in this topic, donated, signed petitions, and reposted the videos and posts that I find most helpful. There is more that I can do, and I will.
Although there are horrible videos circulating of violence, it is important that we keep the main message alive through it all. Black Lives Matter! Yes, every life matters. But as I mentioned before, our Black brothers and sisters need our help the most at this time. I used to think, “Well, all lives matter right?” But thanks to social media I gained awareness that all lives can’t matter (or aren’t equal) until Black lives matter. Black lives have been undervalued for far too long. What year is it for crying out loud?! How are we to save all the houses and leave the one house burning profusely?! That was a great analogy on Instagram from a comic written by Kris Straub. Here it is:
Quite honestly, growing up in Hawaii I have lived a sheltered and safe life. I grew up in nice neighborhoods, have a supportive family, loving friends, went to good schools, and I have a stable job. I was raised to stay quiet and not fight back. Seeing others speak of their journeys has pushed me to be more public about the causes I believe in. I still have much to learn about this movement, and I stand with many who want the change to happen. “I understand that I will never understand. However, I will stand. Together we will overcome.” Stay safe everyone, and take care. #BlackLivesMatter
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