It’s been a heavy few days in racism discourse.

Of all the material I’ve seen,

I’ve been struck most by this slide:

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’ve seen this before

We are outraged, we post photos, we move,

Keep ourselves out of harms way. Till next time.

I read two comments on The Shaderoom,

Under posts about George Floyd & Amy Cooper:

“Black people kill each other all the time,

Why is it a big thing when white people do it?!”

And, “the proportion of black people in America

Killed by the police is comparatively small

Approximately 240 of 50 million annually.”

Brethren, “The harvest is plentiful,

But the laborers are few.” #WorkDey

Real lives are reduced to posts and pictures

Soon to be outshone by TikToks and filters. Yet,

A child will adjust to a harrowing new normal,

A mother’ll never  again sleep through the night,

A partner must learn how to trust again.

Because, nothing we render

Can be bargained, bartered, brought

In place of the life that was taken. Taken easily.

Is this an American problem? No.

Global media’s validation of one type of beauty,

Using width of nose, tone and shape

To determine the most worthy of love, of lust?

In our home, on our dark and beautiful continent,

Our daily witnessing the fawning, solicitous

Obeisance to & celebration of foreign-ness?

From Africa to America,

The toning down as we climb higher up?

The lessening of our selves

In a bid to taste more palatable to palates

Unused to the exotic taste of our culture &style?

The photos & videos are symptoms of a system.

They are simply the culmination

Of the million microaggressions suffered,

Silently swallowed, daily.

Today we colour murder with black & white ink

When it should be red.

Our commonality, blood red.

Because, murder is murder. Is murder.

Now we appeal for allies to stand for us, sit in aid

When the truth is we only need partners

If we truly believe we are all different. We aren’t.

A black problem, is a human problem.

Who will pay the price of an unjust world,

Where all but our humanity is prioritized?

Every one, no matter the colour, will pay.