As the current situation of the Black Lives Matter movement unfolds, it is up to us as a community to address what has happened. This moment that we are living through will be recorded in history. With that understanding, we have to stay informed and aware about the roots of this tension among the black community in America. On January 1st, 1863, African Americans were called “free.” Now what does “free” really mean exactly?
Does it mean that they could live “separate but equal”? Does this mean that they should be left with 40 acres and a mule? Or does this mean that schools could be integrated in 1954? Many Americans still live within the same walls of someone who went to school in a purely segregated school. I think America today still operates on a restricted freedom to which some remain irreverent. At one point, African Americans were considered wealth and dehumanized as slaves.
"On January 1st, 1863, African Americans were called 'free.' Now what does 'free' really mean exactly?"
Over the years, the unequal treatment of African Americans is evident. Police brutality and Racism are real. We mourn the losses of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Eric Garner, Treyvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Stephon Clark, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, Dominique Clayton, Bettie Jones, Atatiana Jefferson, Botham Jean, and Walter Scott. We have already lost the lives of many of our brothers and sisters to racism and it hits closer to home when you see it unfold in front of your eyes. To put it plainly, the color of someone’s skin dictates how threatening they seem to be. Not everyone thinks this way, but the system has failed to address this and we wait to hear the acknowledgment of these injustices from our president. And as a country and an Ardsley community, we need to see the value of recognizing the importance of black lives. Not to say other people don’t matter, but we can’t derail the conversation from the people who are hurting in the present moment.
Recognize and empathize with us. Black lives matter. The pain and suffering that we have endured while fighting for equality for over 400 years, has not yielded enough progress as we look to the face of frustration in the destruction that has occurred. But these are a deeper suffering that begins with the understanding of the inner conflicts that reside in you. Do you see who is hurting right now or are you desensitized to the pain? Take the time to reflect and understand the burden that has fallen upon black people to speak out about their inequities and educate yourself in the midst of this crisis we are living through — our lives depend on it.
To further educate yourself and find ways to help, visit: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
To join the Ardsley community in an upcoming protest for change:
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