Sadly, Sometimes Black Lives Matter

By Kim Harris, M.Ed.

Distinctive Voice Consulting

December 2021

www.DistinctiveVoiceConsulting.com

 

Its verdict time again. This time it was two verdicts: the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict and the Ahmaud Arbery verdict. Two distinct cases, two distinct verdicts, one mixed message: Sometimes Black Lives Matter. Interestingly a video was key evidence in both cases. Video exonerated Kyle Rittenhouse in his claim of self-defense while he was protecting commerce but video incriminated the Ahmaud Arbery defendants. It’s hard to spin a lynching. What amazed me the most about these defendants is that their bias against Arbery was so strong that they actually believed the video would exonerate them.

 

As a person of color my heart breaks when I witness the experiences of Black and Brown people throughout the United States being “othered” (a set of dynamics, processes, and structures that engender marginality and persistent inequality between humans based on group identities) by law enforcement and dominant culture folks’ attempt to take the law into their own hands, especially when the outcome sends a message that Black Lives Don’t Matter. The Rittenhouse trial demonstrated to me that when dominant culture folks lend their privilege to speak for racial equity, they exchange that privilege for that of Black and Brown people and can end up not receiving justice similar to those they are trying to defend. With law, it’s all about the interpretation and application which is disproportionately applied to benefit those of the dominant culture and the wealthy from any racial background (think O.J. Simpson here).

 

I am not here to argue the fact that there is systemic racism in the United States. If this fact is not a reality for you, here is a list of studies that may help this fact become reality for you: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/opinions/systemic-racism-police-evidence-criminal-justice-system/?itid=lk_interstitial_manual_16#Policing

The studies cited in the above link may be helpful to shine a light on U.S. systemic racism. But as a person of color these studies are unnecessary. All I need to do is watch how Black and Brown people are treated in our justice system and society and I already know. When I watch the news, I know. And when I observe the injustices over time it creates a wound that deepens with each occurrence. When Christian Cooper can’t go birding, when Ahmaud Arbery can’t go for a run, when Breaona Taylor cannot sleep in peace in her own bed, when Lolade Siyonbola can’t nap in the commons area at Yale, when Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson can’t wait for a business client at Starbucks, when Jonathan Ferrell and Renisha McBride cannot ask for help for a medical emergency, when Jordan Davis cannot play loud music, when Stephon Clark cannot have a cell phone in his hand, when Alton Sterling cannot sell CD’s, when Mike Brown cannot walk from the corner store, when Jordan Edwards can’t leave a party to find safety, when Aiyanna Jones can’t sleep on the family couch, when Tamir Rice cannot play cops and robbers at a park, when Christians cannot attend a bible study at church, when Trayvon Martin can’t walk home, when Sean Bell cannot hold a brush leaving a party, when Oscar Grant can’t take the BART home after a New Year’s party, when Sandra Bland cannot wait for a trial in jail, when Philando Castile cannot legally bear arms, when Corey Jones and Terrance Crutcher can’t have car trouble, when John Crawford cannot shop at Walmart, when Keith Scott cannot read in his car, when ten year old Clifford Glover cannot run from the police who frightened him, when Claude Reese cannot decorate for a party, when Randy Evans can’t ask the police a question, when Yvonne Smallwood and Freddie Gray can’t survive police custody, when Amadou Diallo can’t reach for his wallet to identify himself, when Walter Scott can’t run from police out of fear for his life, when Eric Garner and George Floyd can’t be safely arrested it tears at the soul. This list is not exhaustive.

 

If I had a magic wand I’d love to have folks trade racial backgrounds for a day, to walk in someone else’s shoes. I can only imagine how enlightening this would be. I’d love to see a world where Black Lives Matter so that we can accurately say All Lives Matter. In the absence of a magic wand I am left with how I can help be the change I want to see. I exercise this change by using my education and gift of conversation facilitation on difficult topics to teach about equity and inclusion. This is my way to honor the lives lost from inequity and injustice.

 

If you or someone you know would like to grow in your social awareness competencies please join me and others to learn about allyship and othering at my workshop, “Beyond Allyship: how othering destroys our democracy,” here: https://www.distinctivevoiceconsulting.com/store/beyond-allyship-online-workshop-how-othering-destroys-our-society-january-20-2022-700-830-pm-pst

By learning about inequity and having those difficult conversations, I believe we can learn better, do better and honor the lives of those lost to unjust systems so that Black Lives Matter all the time.