Tayeba Sharif
If you haven’t heard about the brutality of the police in Minneapolis on 25 May that cost an innocent black man called George Floyd his life, you’re probably living under a rock. George Floyd was not the first black who lost his life as a result of police brutality. There were also the cases of Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, William Chapman, Walter Scott — the list goes on.
Some of the names are even fading from our memories.
George Floyd died in the same place as Philando Castile, another black life that fell victim to white supremacy. George uttered the same words as Eric Garner, that he couldn’t breathe. He repeated this over and over again. But he never found mercy.
The protests in the US are stronger than ever this time around. But how can one support these movements while staying at home amid a pandemic? We can all begin by reading about it, learning about it, and educating ourselves.
Racism can have different levels. Internalised racism refers to beliefs and feelings that exist within an individual. Interpersonal racism is bias shown to individuals through words and actions. Institutionalised racism refers to discriminatory policies and practices within organisations. Systematic racism refers to the ongoing racial inequalities maintained by society. What America has been constantly repeating is systematic racism.
The next step would be to support these movements through whatever measures you can. The following link here is a summary on what can be done and how they can be done. It doesn’t just help educate ourselves, but also comes very handy in spreading awareness.
https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
You can start by signing the following petitions; remember, the more you sign, the higher the chances we have of bringing justice. It literally takes seconds. Following are some of the links to the most important ones.
https://www.justiceforbigfloyd.com/#petition
https://www.wecantbreathenational.org/
https://www.standwithbre.com/#petition
https://www.naacp.org/campaigns/we-are-done-dying/
https://blacklivesmatter.com/defundthepolice/
You can also donate money for the bail of protesters who are getting arrested everyday.
https://minnesotafreedomfund.org
In today’s day and age, one does not have to physically be present to take part in a movement. We can use our social media handles to the best of our abilities by constantly sharing information about #BlackLivesMatter. We are in this for the long haul, we can’t let this rebellion die down. At the end of the day, let’s not forget that we all bleed the same colour. It’s now or never.
#BlackLivesMatter
Tayeba is a realist by day, and a dreamer by night.