Just arrived in NYC: Leaving the U.S. Tuesday of last week, I had witnessed hundreds of people marching in response to the case in Ferguson the night before; 3 helicopters hovered over my apt. building in West Harlem. I was nervous and when I got to the boarding gate at the airport, all the tv stations were on CNN with breaking news reports of the riots in Ferguson and the nations outcry for justice. I left the country with my heart heavy feeling disgraced of our justice system and I began to question humanity itself. Being in Chile, I was immediately welcomed by people I barely knew and many I had just met. We all were united by two beautiful and genuine souls whos unconditional love for each other and for others had brought together people from different parts of the world and of diverse backgrounds to celebrate their union as newlyweds amongst a united community. Love had broken down the language and cultural barriers and I was overwhelmed by the kindness and hospitality displayed. Someone I had met at the wedding said its a rare thing in our time to meet a stranger from another part of the world who is so open in connecting with each other. How wonderful to have met you. I left Chile with my heart uplifted and reminded of the power of love that brings together. I arrive back in NYC and instantly Im reminded the opposite; my race and separation. I see the newspaper headlines, hear the tv comments, check my FB and Im bombarded by post of the Eric Garner case and racial injustice. I returned to this country feeling the same way I left it; ashamed. Oh the stories I could tell you growing up in America as a mixed child with a white father and black mother, being raised in a predominantly white community in Naples, FL for all my childhood years and moving from there to a predominantly black community in the D.C./Maryland area during all of my teenage years. The memories flood me of racial identity, racial tension, racial stereotypes, racial profiling, racial injustices we faced as a bi-racial household. We say we are such an advanced society, a developed nation...What have we done thats so revolutionary to where we still cant let go of this man made notion of race and remove words such as black white mulatto from our language knowing it has literally no relevance to our coming into existence. To where we still havent developed the ability to look past the race of a person, past superficial perceptions and see them solely based on their character. What have we done thats so revolutionary to where we still havent understood that you cannot hate to come to a place of love. To where we still havent grasped that love is a fundamental force to our guiding existence as a species and when its torn from our inner core, we crumble. And so now I have no choice but to be compelled to join in picking up the pieces through loves hands. #blacklivesmatter #ALLlivesmatter
Posted on: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 14:12:14 +0000
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