Black Lives Matter. Today. Tomorrow. Forever.

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my humanity should not be up for debate

Philando Castile. Sandra Bland. Eric Garner. Tamir Rice. Alton Sterling. Breonna Taylor. Collins Khoza. Sibusiso Amos. George Floyd. 10 out of the hundreds of black people that were killed by law enforcement around the world. 10 out of the hundreds of black people whose only crime was just that. Being black. 

The past few weeks have been so heavy for me. The murder of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor sparked worldwide protests for the #BlackLivesMatter movement. It’s incredible to see the us stand together for a cause that affects billions around the world. My only hope is that this isn’t temporary. Because a revolution doesn’t only take a week. This is an enemy we must continue to battle. 

Racism has become a part of my reality. It’s a part of how beautiful people think I am, the jobs I’ll get, universities I’ll get into and even whether I’ll see another day in this world. But I will not normalize it. The colour of my skin should never determine my experiences, my human rights or whether I get to see my tomorrow. It's not okay that black children are taught how to not get murdered before they learn how to ride a bike. 

As a non-black person during this time, your job is to not tell black people how to feel, it's to support and elevate our voices. It's important to understand that as a non-black person, being black is something that you have never experienced, but that doesn’t mean that it’s something you shouldn’t fight for. 

If you are neutral during this time, if you are not spreading the message, if you are not signing the petitions, it means that you are okay with injustice and racism. And if you are okay with that, then you are okay with my oppression. 

Just because you aren’t directly affected by this, it doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be a concern to you. The hundreds of black people that are killed by law enforcement deserved to see the sun come up. They deserved another day with their family and friends. Another day at work. Another trip to the grocery store. If the fact that they didn’t get to have those doesn’t bother you, then you side with the racists. 

My existence is seen as a crime. Don’t tell me to relax or calm down. It’s a privilege to live your whole life not being called derogatory terms. It’s a privilege to walk outside and not fear being killed by the very people that are supposed to protect you. It's a privilege to never have your race be a reason for your oppression. 

We fight because we never want to see another black person added onto the list with the hundreds of black people killed by law enforcement. We fight for our right to live. 

I’m black everyday. This is my reality. But I will not normalize it, because I deserve to be seen as human, not as a threat. 

Black lives matter. Black trans lives matter. Black people matter. Today. Tomorrow. Forever. 

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Petitions to sign:

 

Link to a tweet with a bunch of petitions to sign: 

 

if you are neutral at the face of injustice, then you side with the oppressor.
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