Black Lives Matter

I feel out of my element just writing this post, which makes me realize I don't understand all the struggles that the Black community faces every single day. I have been privileged to not have to be fearful of talking to a police officer, to receive glances from people just based on the way I appear, or the way I speak in public spaces. And these are only a few things I don't have to think about among the many that the community faces.

Things you read in textbooks, what you watch on social media, or the stories you hear are only small parts of a struggle that I am not aware of because I am a light-skinned Latina. And I really want to do more and I should have started earlier!

My fear of doing something or saying something wrong is ironic. I am only beginning to understand this now. These fears are part of what an entire community faces and has been facing. It should be alarming to everyone that awareness, such as this post right here, has been demonstrated at such high quantities in only the past few months. This community needs us not just now but all the time!

I understand that this push for justice is difficult work and it can become mentally/emotionally/physically exhausting. Many of us don't have to push for justice every single day just to be heard. This push is their everyday lives! You can live day by day unaware of all this, but they can't do the same.

So do something! Sign petitions. Check-in on the Black community not just now but in the future. Do research and lookup terms you are unfamiliar with without others having to tell you to do so. Just be there somehow. Be proactive!