This month’s blog is an open letter that has no relevance to work or living a life you love. It’s about the current climate in the US and the violence against Black people.
I’m taking advantage of my platform to share my opinion.
It has not been edited and simply includes my raw thoughts and emotions.
#itstimetospeakup #georgefloyd
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Dear World,
I’ve spent the last 36 years quiet.
As a Black Canadian woman, I’ve rarely spoken up to defend myself in moments of obvious discrimination and racial injustice.
We’re often told to be quiet, not to stir up shit.
Not to make people uncomfortable.
So, it becomes easy for White Canadians to say racism doesn’t exist because People of Colour in Canada don’t call it out. We excuse it. We ignore it. I even found myself defending Trudeau for his Blackface pictures!!!
What amount of brainwash has led us to devalue ourselves? Because that level of brainwash is what allows a man to put his knee on someone’s neck.
That silence is what allows two men to think they can shoot an innocent Black man going for a run.
That level of silence is what allows the media to play violent images in an endless cycle to the point where we are desensitized to the level of hate that must exist for such gruesome behavior to happen and exist.
That level of silence is a societal problem.
That level of silence is what makes me angry at times because I haven’t taken a stand for myself. I haven’t called people out on their racist or discriminatory actions or comments.
I worry I’ll make people uncomfortable.
So I stay uncomfortable…
And that’s enough.
As of today, I’ll be speaking up and calling people out on their bullshit. Their White privilege. And that goes both ways. I believe in racial equality and justice and that means the pact I’m making today is to speak up more than I have in the past in any and every situation for everyone from any racial background, religious background, ethnic background, sexual orientation, socioeconomic etc.
Enough is enough.
Inspiring YOU to take a stand in YOUR life for what you believe in
Priscilla
