Social justice cannot be attained by violence. Violence kills what it intends to create. -Pope John Paul II
In light (but where is the light in this matter) of the recent deeply disturbing events, through Lightness of Advocacy, I must continue to step in and stand up (or kneel) to support social justice. In an outcry to George Floyd’s murder (yes murder! as seen on video) [1], the aftermath moments [2] captured by photographers bring all kinds of uneasy feelings to the surface and eat at your core, at least if you possess even a slight of humaneness. #whereisthelight #lightnessofadvocacy #journeywithlightness #lightnessofbeing #stepinandstandup #humaneness #georgefloydsmurder #blacklivesmatter #icantbreathe #endviolence #socialjustice
During a recent Off The Mat training, one of my teachers frequently mentioned our systems being broken. That is, the same systems that are supposed to protect our society have adverse effects, which in this case included death. Shouldn’t there be a warning label for such a “side effect” -I mean medications have to include them, right? Or how about a choice to “opt out” of an undesirable option like a choke hold? Traumatically, I did not realize that in just a short time after my training, I would be witnessing this repeated severe magnitude of brokenness in action. Naively, I thought that as a nation we would be moving forward during my time here on earth and I am eagerly attempting to do my part before my demise but it seems that social justice is not convenient. #brokensystems #warninglabel #movingforward #halakhouri #offthemat
Although, white privilege extends beyond cosmetics and inconvenience as the essay White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack was interpreted. [3] According to Collins, white privilege has been overshadowed by the fact that it is a legacy and a cause of racism as well as unseen and a possessor of unconscious advantages. [4] I couldn’t agree more and the unwarranted actions caught on video seals the over exercised “white” handshake deal. Furthermore, outdated interpretations overshadow the origins of white privilege, and its continued ability to influence systemic decisions. [5] White privilege will always remain inside the system unlike "other colors” of the disadvantaged who remain outside of the system. [6] #whiteprivilege #unconsciousadvantages #systemicracism #othercolors
Interestingly, the color white is an inherently positive color and associated with purity, light, goodness, safety, understanding, faith, spirituality, possibility, humility, sincerity and protection… but I am certain that George Floyd neither saw nor felt any of this. The color white is also thought to be comprised of all hues on the visible light spectrum. So where does our mind’s interpretation of our color vision, to truthfully see, go wrong? Well as we grow up we learn and adapt to what our society teaches us. If this is truly the case, don’t you think it is time to enhance our photo sensors to detect the light? #detectthelight #white #light #useyourwhiteprivilegetohelpothers
All the best, love & light~
Tammy
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[1] Hill, E., Tiefenthäler, A., Triebert, C., Jordan, D., Willis, H., and Stein, R. 2020. 8 Minutes and 46 Seconds: How George Floyd Was Killed in Police Custody. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/video/us/100000007159353/george-floyd-arrest-death-video.html (last accessed 02 June 2020)
[2] Protests Across America after George Floyd’s death. 2020. CNN Crime + Justice Energy + Environment Extreme Weather Space + Science. 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/27/us/gallery/george-floyd-demonstrations/index.html (last accessed 02 June 2020)
[3] Collins, C. 2018. What Is White Privilege, Really? Teaching Tolerance. https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/fall-2018/what-is-white-privilege-really (last accessed 02 June 2020)
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Kendell, F.E. 2002.Understanding White Privilege. https://www.cpt.orgfilesUndoing%20Racism%20%20Understanding%20White%20Privilege%20-%20Kendall.pdf (last accessed 02 June 2020)