Rise Up & Vote

To my friends, family, colleagues, and all those I know who are people of color, especially Black - I hear you. I see you. And I am sorry.

I’ve been reading the news, friends social media posts, listening to NPR, and watching news clips...and sitting with my thoughts. I will admit my social media activity these days tends to focus on wishing people happy birthday or celebrating occasions like travel and my often poor attempts at artistry via Instagram and less on me divulging my opinions or thoughts. I increasingly see these mediums as a place of echo chambers, not challenging assumptions, spewing information not always based in fact, and a space that lacks common empathy and the recognition of our shared humanity. 

Like many I’ve been feeling a range of emotions this week - anger, sadness, concern, frustration, numbness - all about the state of affairs and the endless oppression of systemic racism. And although I haven’t posted or reposted all the brilliant pieces I’ve seen written or shared by friends I’ve read them. And I constantly think to myself how can I be better? Should I be posting more? Should I join in shouting into the ether of my echo chamber where nearly everyone shares similar opinions and beliefs? Is that truly making the change I believe we need? Is that being the ally I want to be? 

I have been working in the criminal justice reform space for nearly 15 years now - a decade of that time at the Justice Policy Institute fighting to end mass incarceration - a system built on racism, oppression and rooted in slavery and the Jim Crow laws of the South. But I often wonder could I, should I be doing more? 

This is something I’ve been struggling with as my career has weaved its way from grassroots advocacy and subject matter expertise into organizational management and leadership - where I spend more of my time dealing with issues of staffing, funding, and operations. My role has become one focused on creating a vibrant sustainable organization that can continue our charge of “reducing the use of incarceration and the justice system by promoting fair and effective policies.” And while deep down I do believe that organizational management work is just as important as standing on the front lines demanding change to systems of oppression, I can’t help feel in moments like these that it is not enough. 

And then I am reminded this isn’t about me or my feelings or if I am a good enough advocate - this is about listening to people who have experienced violence and oppression in their communities, uplifting their experiences, and supporting them as they lead the charge for change. 

It’s about knowing and saying the names of those lost by police and gun violence: George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Philando Castile, Sandra Bland, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice. And those are just the names I can recite from memory - not to mention the hundreds and thousands of names known and not known from years and years of poor public policy and civilian oversight of law enforcement.

It’s about listening and learning from the experience of others like my dear friend Marla in her TEDx talk on not being colorblind but being colorFULL.

It’s about reading and sharing information on how to show up for racial justice, and supporting organizations fighting to end systems of oppression. Here are some places to start:
And lastly and most importantly it is about mobilizing, organizing and voting - democracy and lasting systemic change start at the ballot box.

Rise up, share your voice, and vote!

In love and solidarity,
DC3FO

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