Update from Kate
REFLECTIONS ON GEORGE FLOYD AND OUR WORLD
Please Share Widely:
At today's Board of Supervisors meeting, we all took a moment to say a few words about the murder of George Floyd, the subsequent protests around our country, and the legacy of racism that permeates our lives and institutions. If you would like to watch the remarks made by each Supervisor, you may do so by accessing our meeting archives. My comments are here:
Reflections on George Floyd and Our World
Talking about disparities, talking about inequity and unfairness, while real and significant, does not really capture the soul-crushing nature of what is happening in our country.
The lack of outrage about the disparate impact of COVID-19 on African-American, LatinX and Asian communities, and the Navajo Nation; the murder, again and again, of African-Americans by police officers; the impunity to embrace the language and actions of white supremacists; and the incitement to hatred and violence by the current resident of the White House, is beyond shocking. And let’s be honest – this is not just about equity and fairness, it is racism and we need structural change to fix it.
When a young woman in Central Park weaponizes her whiteness by calling the police and telling them she is being threatened by an African-American man who was bird watching and asked her to comply with the law and leash her dog, she was just the latest voice in a legacy of racial bias, prejudice and lack of caring about the consequences for the person falsely accused.
The COVID-19 pandemic has focused a bright light on a multitude of issues in our society and the work we all need to do to strengthen the bonds of caring and empathy, and to recognize the importance of the common good, without which there can be no decency, no community, and no fairness or justice.
The protests following the murder of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis reflect a crisis of despair, hopelessness and rage about the senseless loss of black life.
Frankly, I’m proud that people in at least 140 cities and towns in the U.S. have taken to the streets. This society is so broken it’s difficult to see a way forward that does not involve standing up and saying “No More!”
I do not condone violence and looting. And I fear that the violent actions of some protesters and agitators will be used to justify a truly dreadful response. But instead of focusing on the destruction of property, let's acknowledge the destruction of lives that led us here and focus on what needs to be done to make real change happen.
Joe Biden recently offered words of particular resonance in these times:
“We are a nation in pain, but we must not allow this pain to destroy us.“
“We are a nation enraged, but we cannot allow our rage to consume us.”
“We are a nation exhausted, but we will not allow our exhaustion to defeat us.”
As weary as we may be after months of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, as anxious and uncertain as we may be about our financial future, we must take action to change what is broken and nurture a world that recognizes the value of us all.
Books:
White Fragility (Robin DiAngelo)
The Color of Law (Richard Rothstein)
These Truths (Jill Lepore)
The Inner Work of Racial Justice: Healing Ourselves and Transforming Our Communities Through Mindfulness (Rhonda V. Magee, Jon Kabat Zinn)
Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World and Become a Good Ancestor (Layla Saad)
An interview:
Van Jones, a commentator on CNN, speaks with passion, urgency, and clarity about what is happening now.
Articles:
An Antiracist Reading List: Ibram X. Kendi on books to help America transcend its racist heritage.
For Black people, Minneapolis is a metaphor for our world. Data for Black Lives Statement of Solidarity with Black Minnesotans.
A film:
The Way Home. Over the course of eight months, sixty-four women representing a cross-section of cultures (Indigenous, African-American, Arab/Middle Eastern, Asian, European-American, Jewish, Latina, and Multiracial) came together to share their experience of racism in America.
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