The past few days have been chaotic. I actually needed some time off to process a few things and get myself together before bringing out a new blog post. But in relation to what's been going on, I would like to use this post, and upcoming posts, to address quite a few things and hopefully use this platform to create more awareness and spread hope and love.
So for those of you who don't know, which I'll be quite shocked if you don't because the news is EVERYWHERE, last Monday in Minneapolis, USA, a black man called George Floyd was murdered by a white police officer (I should say officers since it was more than one who contributed to his death), who knelt on his neck until he died of suffocation, all while he complained that he couldn't breathe and onlookers around urged the officer to stop.
This incident has caused rage in not just America but all over the world. It's brought about multiple protests across the US as well as in other parts of the world, where people are speaking out against racism and injustice against the Black community.
Racism is honestly a disease that has stemmed from years of injustice and hatred towards people of colour. It honestly saddens me that people in this world can truly be this evil. I mean, the Bible did warn us that in the last days the love of many will grow cold and people will become heartless, but to see it with your own eyes brings about a whole new level of realisation. And the sad truth is that, racism is something that has gone on for years and years. And it's not just seen in the way people act; it's a mindset. No one is born racist; it's something that is learned.
And there are so many things I could say about racism and its effects, but I'll leave that for a later post. Today, I just wanted to create awareness for what's happening in the US and why. All these protests against police brutality and against the black community being treated with injustice, is as a result of people being tired of years of history repeating itself. There are so many black lives that have been taken, from people of both genders and all ages. It's become so normal now to hear of another black person being killed by the police and as a black person myself, I know I'm not alone when I say I'm honestly tired and at a stage where I question myself that is this all ever going to even stop?
This is why many people are speaking up and protesting.
So when you hear people mentioning the slogan, "BLACK LIVES MATTER", it is in no way disregarding all other races. It is only trying to say that, black people are facing so much injustice and are hurting, and therefore need attention right now. So yes all lives matter, but at the moment, we're trying to focus on black lives and doing everything in our power to fight for justice and equality.
I've heard so many analogies regarding black lives matter and all lives matter. One of them was that, if a house was burning, the fire fighters wouldn't hose down every house in the neighbourhood. They would fix their attention on the house that was burning and put the fire out. In the same way, the black community is hurting right now, and that's why the attention is focused on them.
Many black lives have been taken as a result of racism and police brutality, not just in the US but all over the world, even here in the UK. I think a lot of people compare the racism in UK to the US, saying it's not as bad but honestly, even though it may not be seen as publicly as in the US, doesn't mean it's not happening.
I honestly have so many thoughts and words that I want to let out but I'll probably have to spread them across my next few posts. What I want to say in this post is that, many people are standing up against injustice towards the black community. This is the time for both black and non-black people to come together and stand up for justice.
Do all you can to educate yourself on racism and all the events in history leading up to it today, and I say this for not only non-black people but for black people, including myself. Having spent primary six and most of my high school years in Ghana meant I was taught about the slave trade and colonisation but like many other pupils, I don't think the subject was treated and taught in such a way that would encourage us as young people to learn from our past and work hard to become better people despite our country's history. So I think re-educating ourselves now will help us understand more on how to move forward.
In all this, spread love. Don't forget that as children of God, we've been called to love as well as to speak up against injustice. Proverbs 31:8-9 (NIV) says:
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
Zechariah 7:9 (NIV) also says:
“This is what the LORD Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.”
So in protesting and speaking up, we shouldn't forget to show love and as crazy as some people think it sounds, pray for these people who are filled with so much evil and hatred. This was what the Bible meant when it said pray for your enemies and those who persecute you. By saying this, the Bible isn't trying to say only pray and take no action. No. Faith without works is dead so prayer without action is dead too. It's saying get justice for the oppressed but pray also for the oppressors, that God will touch their hearts; that the hatred and evil that is inside of them will be replaced with love. We're called to be different as children of God, so our response should be different. Even though there's so much rage we shouldn't add fuel to the fire; we need to stand out and show love in the midst of chaos and inspire hope. As you take wise and peaceful action, don't forget to add prayer as well as show kindness and love.
There's so much more I want to say but as I said, I'll leave that for the upcoming posts. Please do speak out against injustice and do your part to help gain justice for not only George Floyd, but for other black lives that have been taken because of racism and police brutality. There are many petitions you can sign to help make sure the perpetrators are convicted, donations you can make to funds in support of justice being served and in general creating awareness of what's going on to educate others who might be ignorant of everything that's happening.
This affects all of us, whether we realise it or not. And until we come together to stand against racism and social injustice, we'll never move forward as a world. Stand up, speak out, seek justice, show goodness and spread love. Love you guys.
What are your thoughts on racism, social injustice and generally everything that's going on in the world? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below or email/message me on social media. Have a blessed day guys and continue to spread love.
Stay blessed and stay a blessing.
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