“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.” –Desmond Tutu
Friends, I barely have mental wherewithal to keep my own days together, nevermind parse the exhausting reality that our black brothers and sisters face. However, I realize that by being silent and posting only the minutiae of my life, no one is hearing my voice on the fears I harbor for the community that I work in and the world that I live in.
I am decidedly NOT neutral, even though my curated Facebook life may appear to be. I am not neutral, not since the day many years ago that my friend, coworker, and visionary leader told me that there is no such thing as being apolitical in my line of work. Those who I have worked with who have made me and changed me over these 15 years, I thank you and I think of you every day. I hope you never have a moment where someone sees you as someone who you are not, or worse yet, does not see you at all.
If you can’t understand why Kaepernick takes a knee, if you think any of these shootings could be “misunderstandings”, if you don’t see that Black lives can matter without diminishing “Blue lives” or “All Lives”, please do not engage me in dialogue unless you intend to listen, see, and be changed. The time for dialogue has passed. The time for change is now.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:-BlackLivesMatter_Boycott_Fox_News_and_The_NY_Post_(15559927173).jpg
sheri•ann•cheng 
Hi Sheri, I enjoyed reading your post. I also curate my sparse Facebook life. I have to say though, that I am caught up on one thing…I sincerely hope that the time for dialogue is never past. The issue of racial prejudice is very real and present, but much more complex than slogans and catch phrases. To improve the situation will require black voices and white voices, and more importantly, listening. Civil dalogue is the only way to permanently change minds and behavior.
Hi Andrew – I have been meaning to reply, and I know the irony in not replying to this particular comment 🙂
I agree that the time for dialogue is never really past, but I guess I feel like those who would rather shout and cover their ears is not one who is up for dialogue. I guess I do not actually mean that the time for dialogue is over, or else my post would also be fairly futile, right? Best wishes to you.