my lovely Trae making sandwiches for Ferguson folks…
heading to Ferguson tomorrow…
After a lot of thought, reflection, and conversation about whether it’s even appropriate or helpful for me to go, I’ve given in to my deep urge to hop in the car with friend-of-a-friend Ellen, along with my fiance’ Trae, and head down simply with the gut orientation not to add to any pain or tension but to be of support and to be a witness. Trae and I are headed to the store in an hour to pick up makings for sandwiches and, along with Ellen, will be bringing water, and some donations from friends up here (which they asked us to carry as soon as we mentioned our plans… pretty cool how support mushrooms through relationships.)
I plan to document with photos, writing and some video the voices of people down there. Have found these articles really useful so far.
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the situation and what can be done, starting with me, to catalyze a new day for us all in which black people can feel safe, respected, heard, powerful and equal in this country–the bigger issue I believe all of the protesting and heated language is really about, and which needs sorely to be addressed.
So until I can take the time to crystallize my own core thoughts on all of this, I wanted to share SOMETHING, and my foray yesterday through various articles as well as a visit to a planning meeting held by local group “Indy 10,” have given me some useful stuff to chew on.
As I post these, I realize I’ve gravitated toward white writers, so not sure what to do with that other than noticing that all too often, white people allow issues like the Ferguson case to be a “Black People” issue, despite its underlying human rights importance. As the saying goes, “When they came for the Jews, I said nothing because I wasn’t a Jew” ends up with those of us most privileged and un-targeted all alone with no one to stick up for us because we weren’t willing to see how injustice to anyone is an injustice to us as well, and weren’t willing to risk conflict with our friends/family by speaking up.
Enjoy!
[THANK YOU to everyone who pointed me toward useful news/commentary sources on this important event (Elle Roberts, Maynard Hiss, Susannah Joyce, Eric Sarver, Leah Kate, Tin Comet Coffee) — and THANK YOU Corinne Ocello for asking me to share what I found!! (such a good reminder to always share learning, keep it flowin…
African-American police officer: Ferguson ‘heart wrenching’
John Stewart on Ferguson and Race
White privilege: An insidious virus that’s eating America from within
(Credit: Prixel Creative via Shutterstock)
Ferguson: Taking Steps to Support a Path Forward
(photo: Carly Mydans / Library of Congress)
(and for some good, info-packed, bigger-picture reading,…)
The Case for Reparations
Sandwich up!
Would love to hear your thoughts, stories, hopes, ideas, etc.
April,
I love what you have written, it really touched me because when I went to the Trayvon Martin rally, it really put what was going on into prospective for me. All those people came out to say, we hurt too, we feel pain and a loss for no reason at all. At the end of the rally there was a woman standing in front of her home, with a sheet hanging up. It told the story of her son who had been shot and killed by police sometime back and there was no justice. IT SAD TO KNOW THAT IN 2014 THE COLOR OF YOU SKIN DOES MATTER.
Mary