I STILL CAN'T BREATHE — EXTRA IS MY ORDINARY®

Why? Because racists are using their privilege to kill black people. I wish this was EXTRAordinary, but sadly this is so very ordinary...in fact it’s typical. The history that underscores this behavior is deeply rooted in the fiber of America. The American Presidents who wrote the United States Constitution were slave owners.

So, I’m not surprised but I am sad, angry, and completely fed up with this type of disregard for black and brown lives.

Back in November I visited the Whitney Plantation in Louisiana. That was my first time visiting a slave plantation (read about it here) and the experience was very difficult to process. The form of slavery learned about on the plantation tour is something that I have not witnessed in my lifetime, but I have witnessed systemic racism for ALL of my lifetime, which is a modern form of slavery in America. I have lived all my life in a country where the color of your skin determines the experience you have under every circumstance. A country where people live side by side, but only one of the two have full access. A country where black and brown people are considered “the minority” and left to spend way too much effort and energy trying to attain what the dominant, white culture possesses. I am a part of the flawed system that divides, separates, dehumanizes, and weaponizes people who look like me and my entire family.

I guess I should be happy because from time to time, we black people get to celebrate ourselves and our race with festivals (one example here), museums, and short periods of time without a string of senseless violence towards us. NO!! This is not enough and it doesn’t make me happy to have selective, temporary moments to join in collective celebrations of the beauty of who we are as Black AMERICANS.

Nothing about it is ok! Obviously, the overt acts of murder and violence are not okay, and similarly the covert daily racist acts are not okay. Eric Garner and George Floyd are the most recent visual representations of not being able to breathe at the hands of racist law enforcement officers, but NONE of us black and brown people can freely breathe here in America.

We can’t breathe at work because we can’t breathe on the job that we need to be damn near perfect at in order to get and keep. We can’t breathe when our sons, fathers, husbands, uncles, etc. leave our presence to jog/walk/drive/take public transportation on any given day. It has been proven that there is no activity that a black person can engage in that will keep us safe. We can’t breathe because we’re exhausted from “running a race” that is designed to keep us at a significant disadvantage. We can’t breathe because if we’re caught taking a break to catch our breath, we could lose everything!

It’s of no surprise that black and brown people are dying at disproportionate numbers due to a virus that is fatal for individuals with underlying conditions because WE HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO BREATHE!

Times like these prove that we can never stop fighting to break free from this system of injustice and racism towards black people. It also magnifies that we need allies in this struggle, so if you are reading this and you are anti-racist I urge you to use the decisions that you make in your life as an example of such for others to follow. Although this is a collective effort, it starts with each of us doing our part to move past where America is now.

Unfortunately, there is no one answer, nor can doing just the minimum truly help with creating the type of radical changes needed to infiltrate and dismantle “the system” that is designed to oppress black people. Luckily, there are some things that we can consistently and collectively do. We can educate ourselves on where candidates stand on all issues that affect our community prior to voting. Additionally, choosing to financially support corporations and small businesses that also give-back to our community is essential for creating opportunity, rather than pouring out already limited resources without any return for future generations. Likewise, making conscious decisions to obtain and freely share vital information about education and finances are necessary catalysts for growth within our community.

Until this system is re-created to be truly equal for all Americans, please know that I STILL CAN’T BREATHE!

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