Enough Is Enough
My heart has been heavy this week. Seeing video of George Floyd executed in broad daylight by Minneapolis police and Chris Cooper having his race weaponized against him while bird watching is so unbelievably tragic, unjust and unacceptable… I can’t even put into the words the devastation I feel for the black community right now. I can’t imagine how exhausting, infuriating and scary it must be to be a person of colour [EDIT: at ALL times.. I received a great critique as I originally wrote “at times.” Forgive me for my ignorance 🙏🏻❤️]. These recent incidents have shed a global spotlight once again that racism is not dead. However; I sense that a tide has turned and we are at a cultural tipping point where enough is enough.
This week has also shed light on how I have failed as an ally. I have I listened to the voices of people of colour all of my cognizant life, yet I have failed to personally speak up as I felt inadequate, uncomfortable, and out of turn. However; this week’s events have caused me to check my own privilege. The price I pay for using my voice is potentially a blunder or backlash, whereas; the price black people are paying are with their very lives, literally being murdered at worst, disadvantaged at best. I read a Desmond Tutu quote that has rocked me profoundly. I am not racist though my silence is complicit. In my ignorance and naivety, I thought being not racist was enough. I haven’t been actively anti-racist. For this, I am truly so, so sorry. This changes now.
““If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.””
I look at my six-year-old son, who wanted a police themed birthday party before covid hit and wears a police officer costume almost daily. We’ve grown up to respect police, knowing they will serve and protect us. This week, I asked myself if many black kids in the U.S. would have the same affinity for the police as my Caucasian, Canadian son does. Would black parents feel uneasy sending their child to a “Cops and Robbers” themed party? [I acknowledge the vast majority of those in large law enforcement are good. I personally know police both sides of the border who are good. Some have been injured in the line of duty. One was killed. The issue at its core is not a blue vs. black matter, nor a few bad apples, but racism both targeted and systemic]. Some of my ignorance stems from the fact of where I live. In Canada, it is extremely difficult and competitive to become a police offer. Post-secondary education is usually required, plenty of experience and extensive training and vetting is required. There is a huge emphasis and culture on de-escalation and non-violence. I remember speaking to a friend who said in this his then 7-year career, removed the gun from his holster once, but didn’t fire. To be fair, Canada still has its problems with blatant racism, systemic racism and law enforcement. Educate yourself on how we are failing the indigenous communities and the missing Aboriginal women to see how far we have yet to go to improve race relations and equality. The difference is as many of our indigenous people live on reserves and in the north, there can be this “out of sight, out of mind” mentality which isn’t quite as in your face as a video of a cop putting his body weight on a man’s neck, crushing his airway. Both are EQUALLY wrong and need to change.
Of course, the most obvious reason that we have grown up trusting police is our white privilege. I have never felt the need to give my sons ‘the talk’ about how to interact with police once they hit a certain age. My family thrives in a system that was built by white folk, for white folk.
As a white mom, I can’t fully understand the fear a mom of colour has when her kids leave the home.
As a white person, I am learning and listening and leaning in to show my support. I have to challenge any unearthed prejudice or bias I carry. I must advocate.
As a white parent raising white kids, I realize I play a huge role in this movement starting right at home as I am shaping my kids view of the world and others. I need to educate my kids to appreciate other cultures and acknowledge other ethnicities as “colour blindness” does a disservice since it sweeps the history, economics and politics of racism under the rug. I have already instilled in them the need to love everyone, yet I need to take this a step further by teaching them about racism, their white privelege, and how to be an ally in an ongoing manner. I have ordered some books that I will share once they arrive as education and leading my example are two things I can do. It’s a start anyways.
I keep praying Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream would come to fruition. Finally, in 2020. It’s time. Enough is enough.
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
