6/21/2020 This moment
Summer is here, in the northern hemisphere we have long periods of daylight, short nights, and, we hope, a healthy growing season. It's also a turbulent time for our country.
"How dare us not take this moment." Those are the words of a mother who lost a child to gun violence at Sandy Hook, and now worries about her son being the target of police brutality. She was reflecting on the cycle of trauma, outrage, protest, and backlash that our country experiences over and over again.
https://www.npr.org/2020/06/21/879655181/parents-of-sandy-hook-shooting-victim-hope-protesters-will-hold-out-for-real-cha
In this moment, so much is being made visible that should never have been invisible, that was only obscured by privilege and corruption. It is a reality that has been lived by so many of our fellow humans every day, every moment, and now erupts into the consciousness of all.
If we are willing to look, we now see the huge disparity of health, wellness, opportunity, economic advantage, home ownership, and justice that has been a reality all along. We now see the epidemics of racism, violence, mass incarceration, poverty, as clearly as we see the path of the coronavirus.
We certainly need to take breaks, rest, restore. But we, those of us who have benefitted from the invisibility of these realities for much of our lives, cannot walk away from this opportunity to be advocates for change.
As summer in the northern hemisphere begins, this summer of 2020 with its connotations of clear vision and long days, we can commit ourselves to making the most of this moment, turning it into a sustained, committed effort to construct the inclusive communities we all deserve.
Humanize everyone, even those who seek to dehumanize others.
Listen to those whose stories have been obscured and marginalized.
Learn how our actions impact the least empowered among us.
Acknowledge the ways in which our passivity supports systemic inequities.
Raise our voices in support of the end of corruption and violence.
Stand side by side with all who fight for justice.
Thank you for reading these notes, and for finding your own way to be whole and responsive in this important moment.
Liz
P.S. If you are interested in learning more about the literal ways black lives matter, learn about the DNA we all share with our common African maternal ancestor. https://www.pbs.org/video/africas-great-civilizations-origins-hour-one/