No Justice, No Peace. 8 Minutes 46 Seconds

I’ve been struggling to put the words together and I am still struggling.

I’ve been avoiding most social media and honestly a lot of the posts on here about BLM. That sounds bad, but it’s not because I’m not happy about the allies I see around me. It’s because as a black person I am constantly exhausted and heartbroken. We all know that what happened to George Floyd is not unique. It’s all too common. And over the next few months more and more incidents (incidents aka Murders) like George’s Murder will be brought to light.

So I want to say a few things. While being an ally is important and is necessary and is appreciated, please be conscious of what your allyship looks likes. Please do not call your black friends, neighbours, colleagues and ask for education right now. It’s not our job and tbh most of us have been doing it for way too long. We are tired. We are traumatized. We are mentally and physically hurting. Please be conscious that you are taking any guilt or shame that you may have as a white person and mobilizing it into action. I see a lot of that right now and it’s good. Don’t expect recognition from us as it’s not our job and we need to take care of our mental health right now.

One thing I want to address as I saw it being done on this platform... Do not, in your attempts to honour one black man, disparage another. To those disparaging activist Shaun Kingston right now in their attempts to be allies... get your shit together. Whether these Allegations are true or not true (and I find it all too convenient that during 2020 when Shaun has been fighting for justice for Ahmaud, Breonna and now George, that these allegations have been getting press time. This is not to say it is untrue, but again, convenient), it is not appropriate in your fundraising and your attempts to lift up Black People that you are disparaging a black man and claiming he PROFITS OFF OF VIOLENCE AGAINST BLACKS. Please focus on promoting white people/police Not Perpetrating Violence Against Black People. This disgusted me to see here on Bunz (twice). It’s really not the road as an “Ally” that you want to take right now. If you want to be an ally, be one.

Remember that we are behind screens in much of our activism. Please be careful with who you are educating. I’m black, I’ve been feeling knees on my neck for a long time, I don’t need you to teach me right now. I’m pregnant right now and I have to say that though 2020 has been wicked to us from the start, the past week has been the most mentally and physically trying. I feel guilt right now for whatever stress hormones I have been passing on to my daughter. Throughout this pregnancy I’ve been especially careful to do whatever I can to not take into my body all of the stress and uncertainty that covid-19 has brought on us. This week has been a struggle for me to not do so. There is no safe space for black people right now. Not even a mindless Instagram scroll can be an escape right now. I don’t ask for this spread of information and conscious action to stop, but I do ask to be conscious and cautious in relation to the mental health of your black friends and neighbours everywhere. This is a heavy time for everyone, but our humanity as Black People is constantly in question. It’s fucking exhausting. It feels soul crushing and honestly humiliating it some ways.

I’m watching George Floyd’s memorial right now. Standing for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Same amount of time it took for George to lose his life, to lose his breath.

Thanks to everyone right now for standing with us. It truly is a different day, having people as far as Germany and Syria standing with us. It doesn’t go unnoticed.

#georgefloyd #blm