The First of Many: My Experience at a Black Lives Matter Rally
On Monday, June 1st 2020 I attended my first rally. I stood in a crowd of hurting, angry, and oppressed individuals. I marched, cheered, chanted, and prayed with these people pleading for justice. I tend to keep my political viewpoints to myself and more often than not, I don’t voice my opinions about social justice matters, even when it comes to issues that I have encountered myself including feminist issues, substance abuse, and sexual assault. My silence was to ensure that nothing that I said could be taken out of context or misconstrued in anyway. But something clicked inside me after hearing about the death of George Floyd.
Yes, I have always been aware of the brutality and injustices towards the Black community. I know the names Treyvon Martin, Sandra Bland, Michael Brown, and Rodney King. I cannot make excuses or come up with a reason as to why I never acted upon these injustices or why I never used my voice to speak up for those who couldn’t. And even now, I worry that once the protests subside I will put my cardboard signs away and carry on with my life like I had been before. But that absolutely cannot happen; I can’t allow myself to pretend to be blind to the issues that surround me. As a person of color I should be on the front lines supporting, protecting, and advocating for my peers.
On Monday, June 1st 2020 I stood in a crowd and felt the ground shake from our feet as we marched. I heard the cracks in the voices from those standing up for their brothers, sisters, fathers, and friends who had died at the hands of ignorance and hate. I listened with my mouth closed and eyes open as my community poured out into the streets. We stood in front of the police station with one bullhorn that wasn’t loud enough reach the next block, but we stood there anyway. It’s not enough for me to post a hashtag and hide behind a screen anymore. I am out in the streets, I am supporting Black-owned businesses, I am kneeling, standing, shouting, screaming, crying, and raising my fist. Where are you?