Black Lives Still Matter - Rithu’s Take

Jun 28

Written By Chit Talk

Annika and I had talked long and hard about doing a BLM episode on CHITTALK. I vividly remember us having this conversation one year ago back when George Floyd had been murdered. At the time, we strongly believed that time was of the essence and that we needed to act now.

One of the ideas we cycled through was hosting a panel of BIPOC friends and people to have a Q&A/debate style episode where we discussed issues around police brutality and anti-blackness. We wanted to make sure that a variety of voices were heard on our platform and also educate those who are new to the work of social activism.

But as time rolled on, we were learning more and more every single day and it didn’t feel feasible for us to do an episode when everyone was raw, resting, and grieving. It wasn’t fair for us to ask our friends to educate others at such length without considering how gravely it could endanger their mental health.

From some of the conversations I have had with my black and indigenous friends over the last year as well as education of my own, I have learned so much about activism, allyship, and accountability really truly look like.

One of the phrases you may have heard in the last couple of weeks; accountability versus justice.

In an article by Kara Jillian Brown in Well + Good, she references a tweet from Bernie Sanders, in response to the verdict of Derek Chauvin, “Real justice for him (George Floyd) and too many others can only happen when we build a nation that fundamentally respects the human dignity of every person”.

So if accountability is retroactive, then justice MUST be proactive right? How do we get to a point where justice is the norm?

Justice would be an institution in which persons of colour are not targeted for violence or inequality. One of the things we dive into in our episode with Priscilla is the importance of learning, reading, and constantly engaging in this work.

I encourage you to be vulnerable and raw in your learning; I know both Annika and I did, so trust me when I say you’re not alone.

Resources

The Model Minority - Rithu’s Take