Proud and emboldened to see so many taking up the practice of protest--especially friends, family, my city, youth, artists, and public figures--making your passion, opinions, and grievances with the state & society known and public is a necessary part of being alive. I encourage everyone to do it--to try it out if you havent yet, and if you have, continue to protest and develop new forms of it, as it is not just a collective act but also a creative one. Now, with that being said..protest is but the first of many acts required to create change--it does not stop here. When you think about it, living your life is a protest when the system does not see, hear, honor, or respect your existence, and for many, seeks to destroy it. While we continue to develop the protest--which allows us to see who we are and where were at--let us also look forward and realize through action in our communities, professions, and personal lives the change we wish to see. It is more than a moment. This is about a lifetime of work. Youre here for a reason. Your life has a purpose that is connected to those of your ancestors, contemporaries, and future generations, and now is the time to begin directing your minutes, hours, days, and years towards it. As your consciousness expands with every moment, begin to make spaces for yourself to be an agent of that purpose, and refuse to accept any more of that which deters or distracts you from it. 24 hours..24 hours.. So for my people struggling, do not rest until your voice is heard by everyone. For my allies, continue to define what allyship means by being an example of what it looks like, and understand that LISTENING is often the best thing to do. And for my folks who are privileged with the powers of fame, wealth, and institutional support--its time to stand up. BIG TIME. Gestures of solidarity--like the Hands Up recently seen by ballplayers, politicians, and musicians--are great. They show what you believe. But dont just show your support now and go back to business as usual--continue to be role models of justice and integrity, and refuse to propogate that which does not uplift us. Perhaps most importantly, though, lets start seeing some actions that bear consequence--like when Muhammad Ali refused to be drafted to fight in Vietnam in 1966, getting him arrested and appealing his conviction all the way to the Supreme Court. Anyway, forgive me if Im ranting. Let us hold everyone--ourselves most importantly--to the highest standards of accountability, integrity, and justice. Thank you. #LOVE
Posted on: Sun, 07 Dec 2014 01:27:13 +0000
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