An Op-Ed by Enroot Executive Director, Ben Clark, originally published in the Cambridge Chronicle:
I know many of you share my belief that right now the U.S. has an unprecedented opportunity to pursue long deferred reforms to address systemic racism. I also know that many of you are actively contributing to this movement on a daily basis. Thank you. We have all drawn inspiration this summer from the unprecedented support for racial justice reform across the country, manifested in protests, advocacy campaigns, policy changes, donations, anti-racist learning circles and widespread public engagement in discourse around racial justice.
The murder of Daniel Prude by police officers in Rochester, New York, in March and recent attempted murder of Jacob Blake by police officers in Kenosha, Wisconsin, are tragic reminders of how dangerous everyday life can be for Black families, especially, and more broadly for Black, Indigenous and people of color in our country. The pain experienced by Daniel Prude’s family is unimaginable, after their plea to law enforcement to help their beloved family member in a time of crisis resulted in his humiliation and brutal suffocation. The irreparable damage to Jacob Blake’s paralyzed body and the trauma inflicted on his three young sons as they watched his shooting from the back seat, is incalculable. Violent events like these are also traumatizing for millions of BIPOC, including our family, friends, colleagues and members of our community who are reminded of the precarious nature of their own physical safety as they go about their daily lives.
Intimidation and violence perpetrated against those protesting for racial justice is designed to silence calls for reform and discourage broad based engagement. And it can clearly be effective. Even lower-stakes uncomfortable or confrontational conversations among family members, friends or colleagues can discourage us from fully standing up for what we believe and curtail our efforts to actively fight racism in our daily lives. I have experienced this myself and I’m sure you have too.
This period, marked by the devastating impact of COVID-19 (especially on Black, Latinx and immigrant families) routine incidents of violence perpetrated against Black and transgender people, often captured on video, and acts of intimidation designed to discourage us from fighting for reform, is exhausting. The sheer weight and intransigence of these issues can make us want to disengage. But this is a time that requires just the opposite of us. It requires that we each lean in and “lock in” our expanded learnings, actions and anti-racist commitments, to ensure their permanence and lay the foundation for deeper engagement in the years to come. It requires that we try doing things we’ve never done before, discovering through courageous trial and error where we can each have our greatest impact.
One of the many ways I believe we can have an impact each day is to utilize and insist on a narrative that honestly reflects our society and the events we are all watching unfold. Among the most powerful tools of those who seek to prevent reform is manipulation of the narrative, using words to sow confusion, doubt and misunderstanding. For example, it is common to read about “police involved shootings” or “police involved deaths.” It is not common to read about police committing murder. Derek Chauvin is rightfully being charged with murder in the case of George Floyd, not with a “police involved death.” When we passively consume and utilize words in a way that diminishes accountability for police who commit acts of violence against BIPOC, we unintentionally support a society which values BIPOC lives less than it values white lives.
The mainstream media adopts a lot of the language used by law enforcement such as “was resisting arrest,” which in addition to omitting information about what preceded the action, places the fault on the victim. This creates a narrative that perhaps the officers’ actions, however violent and regrettable, may have been unavoidable and therefore justified. We should not be comfortable with a narrative that makes it OK to kill people rather than administer justice according to our laws. Using words intentionally and insisting that our elected leaders and journalists do too, is an important way for us to fight back against attempts to manipulate the narrative to block reform.
Especially in this time of isolation and largely virtual relationships, it can be easy to lose sight of shared purpose. Take strength from the knowledge that you are a member of a community and a movement, that is committed to taking individual and collective action to address systemic racism in our country. Although you will each continue to find your own unique set of actions in pursuit of this shared goal, you are part of a powerful and growing force.
Together, we are fighting for dignity. We are fighting for racial equity. We are fighting for justice. Above all, we are fighting for our shared humanity. And together, we will prevail.