My heart is so heavy right now. This topic is one that is really important to me. It’s important to all of my black and brown people, so I had to write about it. We are all so tired of the racist images and videos we keep seeing over and over again on social media, on the internet — it’s sickening. All over the US people are protesting and rightfully rioting to DEMAND justice for George Floyd, may he Rest In Peace.

We are so TIRED of being targets for these disgusting individuals who think it is alright to take a black man/black woman’s life, for no reason at all. Within the video of George Floyd’s murder, he is not resisting arrest, he is actually complying with the officer. The officer proceeds to put his knee on George’s neck forcefully (this is so hard to witness), until he literally runs out of breath and dies. This is Murder and this is America, sadly.

We view these images on our phones, even if we don’t go looking for them. We watch the news and it is so awful to see! It makes us frustrated, angry, depressed, some may even feel hopeless because it literally just doesn’t stop. We are dealing with PTSD, we are triggered and emotionally impacted in a BIG way when things like this happen. What I think is important about this post is that Quinta calls out something that a lot of us have been feeling.

After seeing these images and feeling outraged, if we’re at work it’s still a work day, and we’re expected to just move forward as if it were just any other day, while we’re hurting. This is just one example, of how we have to fight through the pain. Hypothetically speaking, if you work on a team of people and you are the only person of color, the fact is that other people are just not going to understand the way this makes us feel. They are just not going to get why this is so hard for us to deal with, and that it’s even more of a struggle to just push through the day after witnessing hateful things like this!

I am on twitter a lot, and most of the community there and on Instagram are calling out those who have been staying silent, and I truly appreciate that. I have friends from all walks of life, I love everybody who I’ve become close friends with that has proven to be a genuine person and a good friend regardless of race. I know that so many others feel the same way, but many people I follow have mentioned that a lot of the folks that normally speak up about politics or societal matters — everyday people and celebrities, tend to always stay silent during times like these.

This country was built on the backs of black people. Our blood sweat and tears have contributed to the shaping and beginning of this country, and yet we’ve had to fight for everything we have — and still do. Our culture is glorified and yet, we still have to deal with racial issues every single day in 2020! Celebrities with large followings should be using their platforms to enforce change during this time, but many aren’t. I also think it’s important for people who aren’t black, to speak up and speak out during this time. Don’t silence yourselves to prevent moments of uneasiness among your peers. If you feel uncomfortable that should be even more of a reason to speak up, because this signifies that something is really wrong and it should be discussed!

This man, this black man, George Floyd was not given the opportunity to live a full life because it was taken by a police officer in Minneapolis. Cops were blocking the police officer’s home last night so that he would be safe. What kind of world are we living in? What kind of country claims to be the land of the free, when all people are not… free. I really hope we can come together to fight against this so that George Floyd and so many others we’ve lost can get their justice. The officer needs to be arrested for murder, this should NOT be tolerated! We should NOT allow this to go on in our communities. We need to rise up and come together to make change. I’m so tired of my black people dying, not living full lives, and dealing with racism on a daily basis.

Share this post if you care, and please comment if you wish to share your feelings on the matter. We’re all going through it right now, and deserve to have a safe space to vent our frustrations. So tired of seeing my people in hashtags because of all of the hatred we face in this world.

Love & Light*

-Tati