That video.
No warning.
Triggers
for so
many, many women
and girls.
Her legs flailing.
Her head snaps back.
The legs of the chair off the ground.
His arm.
That body lifter arm.
Around her neck.
Terror.
Sheer terror.
And then her voice.
The cry of a child wails and dear GOD.
My heart.
Our hearts.
our collective hearts.
Break.
Into a thousand pieces.
That is MY daughter right there!
Fiery and sometimes obstinate – sure of herself and unwavering and distrustful at times.
That is MY daughter sensing that a male with power is not worthy of it.
By GOD, no he is not and what can she do?
Really?
What are her choices?
Put her head down,
not look him in the eye,
refuse to respond,
in guttural response to her
GOD GIVEN
INTUITION
that yells in her ear –
WATCH
OUT.
And then it starts –
the insanity.
Because that is exactly what it is.
Insane.
Irrational.
Noise.
Judgment reigns harsh and prickly –
words on repeat, such as
disrespectful,
disruptive,
deserved,
did-you-see-the-other-video?
Who are YOU in this scenario?
No, seriously.
Everyone has a role in this.
EVERYONE.
So, what’s it going to be?
The silent, yet watchful, bystander?
The argumentative naysayer?
The avoider?
Who are YOU?
No one is being unfaithful to a profession by calling out the mire and the muck within it.
In fact, if we were to truly look at the unfair bias that exists in a profession,
perhaps we need to
look into
the
heaps and heaps and heaps
of research that proves
that people of color
do not
get an equal shake
compared to their white counterparts
in the same profession.
Not in a hundred years.
Not ever.
NOT YET.
So, let’s not get all ruffled and puffed up that a profession is being attacked –
let’s
GET
OUR
HOUSE
IN
ORDER.
In fact, there are lots of stories out there about those who are respectful
and full of integrity within their profession.
Why do we not hear about those?
Well, it sure is not because folks are trying to hide it.
It is more because we have
a
sickness.
We’d much rather watch the train wreck than the victory lap.
Don’t like that?
Than
change
the
trajectory
of
the
narrative.
Instead of complaining about it.
That video.
That precious girl’s cry.
Dear God.
Dear God.
Enough.
All of it.
ENOUGH.
Your soldiers are weary.
Their voices are raw and scratched and coarse.
The struggle to be heard – for people to listen – really listen
well,
as the saying goes –
the struggle is
REAL.
**Inspired my my friend. Check out her writing here, along with practical responses for all of us. **