Why We Must Keep Going
Is the Trend Over?
It’s not every year that we experience what we have just in the first half of 2020. With wildfires, threats of war, and a pandemic, 2020 seems to be the live-action film of our worst nightmares. Perhaps it’s a sign that we’ve gotten to comfortable living. We’re too settled, having turned a blind eye to all the disparities that have embedded themselves into society. Now, there is an inspiring Black Lives Matter movement taking place not only all around America but all around the world that we must take part in.
Of course, people who are not African American will never face exactly what the community has had to endure. For example, I am South Asain. Do I experience racism? Yes. Is it to the same extent of some of my African American friends? No. But that’s no excuse to sit back and relax. This is a time to amplify voices, have uncomfortable conversations, and, most importantly, educate ourselves.
It appears that overtime everything is seemingly going back to normal. Our social media feeds are filling back up with pictures from vacations, we don’t hear much about protests anymore, and the issue doesn’t seem to be getting media coverage. A lot of people think “the trend’s over,” but the fight for racial equality was no trend to begin with. It has been a centuries-long battle that has yet to be resolved. So, even when the surface-level activism is going back to “normal,” we can’t make that an excuse to stop the fight.
But what can we do to fight? Especially with COVID-19 on the rise, how are we to actively push towards equality? There are many ways to assist, whether it be donating or signing petitions. Here is a link we should look at in order to help!
Why we will make a change:
Even with so many ways to help, change seems to be slow. It’s trailing behind the position we think it should be at. Many of us can’t comprehend why it is taking so long! We ask ourselves, “How is it so hard to treat everyone equally?” And the answer, seemingly, is very difficult.
The reason lies with the people in power, the politicians and leaders who have yet to address the need for change. When the people in power fail to act, the power goes to the people. That’s right. The power is now in our hands; we are the people. So it is up to us to do what the generation above us didn’t.
But what makes us different from our parents’ generation?
Exposure
Many of us have been able to freely interact with people of different races, religions, and backgrounds, so we’re able to empathize in a way that’s drastically better than what we have seen before. Whether it be in schools or sports teams, we’ve all likely conversed with someone different than us. This is where we changed paths from what our parents went through; we were able to learn from people different from us.
A very wise person once told me, “Exposure breeds empathy.” I now see that happening with all of us. We are able to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes and understand all their experiences. This is exactly where our allyship is put to good use. We are able to hurt for the pains faced by people completely different from us, and that is how we know change is coming at an increased pace.
Somehow history managed to repeat itself, because the issue was never solved in the first place. But now, with all of us taking charge, we will resolve what’s really at fault.
