In Loving Memory of George Floyd
I want to start by sharing my deepest condolences to the Floyd family and friends. There is no way through this post that I can express how saddened I am by the senseless murder of our brother. I also don't want to forget about the many others including Breona Taylor, Sandra Bland, Trayvon Martin, Ahmad and unfortunately so many others that we know or may not know who died in the hands of the ones who were made to protect and serve or was just suppose to be good character human beings.
Being a young black woman growing up in a town that is predominately made of black people with a town within in 2 miles that is made of predominately white middle class people. I knew what racism was and experienced it at a very young age. I experienced the inequality of education when going to Benton Harbor Area Schools. Teachers worked so hard with the little they had. We had textbooks that were decades old, behind on technology and very little programs available to further education, but again the staff did what they could. Eventually my mother was fortunate to be able to qualify me for school of choice, a program that was new in the area where students were able to go to schools outside of their zone. I was able to experience just 10 minutes from home a quality education, brand new textbooks, no xerox copies for worksheets, heat and air in the buildings, and plenty technology. An inequality to this day that I will never forget.
I could not fathom how a school that was 4 times smaller than the one I previously attended had the resources to do so much more. Not only that, I am now back in the same boat I was in the second grade, where I sensed a feeling of unwanted. My Spanish class was once even told by a substitute teacher that "I sub at very bad Benton Harlem schools so I can handle anything." Benton Harlem is a slur that some people still use to compare our neighborhood to Harlem. What the sub did not know was that I was a resident of Benton Harbor and a former student. Of course, this ruffled by feathers, and I immediately called her out, and she says oh you're one of them too, how did they allow you here?"
I removed myself from the classroom immediately and went to the office to let the principal know what I just experienced. I was afraid at the time that I would not be heard, as I had not been so many times before. That day Principal Alsbro took immediate action, and made sure to let me know that, that behavior was not tolerated. I finally felt a warm feeling that someone hears me and someone cares!
Despite being heard, there were many events that still transpired throughout the school system that made me aware, that I and many other friends do not belong. We have been living like this for years, just trying to "get by", and people are TIRED! Not just Black people and people of color but ALL PEOPLE are TIRED!!!
We are tired of having to overcompensate to be under compensated and treated unfairly. Some of us, a small amount are able to have the resources to at least try to "breathe". But when I go home there are many others who do not and it's not our fault. We have been setup, almost like mice in an experiment, poor education, poor healthcare, poor environments and it goes on.
Al Sharpton said it best "We don't want no favors, just please get your foot of our neck and we can be whatever we want to be!!"
I am unapologetically BLACK and want to see JUSTICE for all that we have lost! I want people to support one another for change and acknowledge that POLICE BRUTALITY and RACISM is WRONG.
People please LET'S VOTE!!!! VOTE LOCAL, VOTE FEDERAL, VOTE STATE!!! WE THE PEOPLE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER
I'll continue to add links for resources that can help make a difference.