BLACK LIVES MATTER WHEN BLACK MINDS DO
By now the names of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Rayshard Brooks have permeated our national dialogue. That is to say, most white Americans can identify them as the latest victims of an unjust and violent policing culture in our country.
And while police violence is a daily threat to people of color, it is just one articulation of the deadly inequity of our society. The COVID-19 pandemic is another chilling instance of it. We see it acutely here in Philadelphia. Black residents have been hospitalized more than all other races and ethnicities combined, and they are dying at twice the rate of white Philadelphians.
As a Black man, more generally, I have lived among the fallout of structural racism and institutionalized injustice in my own life. As a Black educator, I have seen its pernicious reach through the lives of my students. I myself have been arrested, assaulted and harassed by police during my time as a teacher and principal.
When I reflect on the sweeping movement now underway, I cannot help but wonder if our newly woke allies sharing out social media solidarity will truly stand with us after their sudden indignation settles. Once corporate America decides this “moment” has passed, will Black Lives (still) Matter? All of which underscores the fundamental question: What would it look like for this CONTINUE READING: Black Lives Matter When Black Minds Do - Philly's 7th Ward
