I Can’t Breathe!

Activist around the country are energized.  An opportunity has arisen to affect true change in our culture that devalues and marginalizes people of color.   Inside we are all holding our collective breath and praying that this issue will stand, the American people will not once again turn away in boredom or even worse their collective need to not face the injustice that permeates our culture.

We are protesting, creating face book memes, confronting outright racism on line and calling out white privilege where it exists.  Our thoughts are dominated with the problems within our over culture and sadly in our own communities.

The potential for burn out is real, each day we face hateful comments, privilege in its grossest manifestations, yet we engage.  Emotionally the task is daunting, painful and frustrating.  The temptation is strong to disengage for our own sanity.  It is a strange world where we activists would be pleased to just have a day that we can spend, once again being amused at cute animals on face book.

Today I ask activists to set some time away for them selves, enjoy family and friends, recharge, feed your spirit with what is wonderful and compassionate in the world.  Do this not because you are tired of the conflict but because you recognize the need to disengage in order to re-engage.  Collectively this effort must continue, we must learn to engage in radical acts of self-care if we are to have the temperance to continue.

Today we have a New Civil Rights movement, led by people of color demanding justice that goes beyond individual cases and calls our nation to action in addressing systematic racism. The solutions will not emerge if we, who sound the call to action, become burned out

I urge you to play with your kids, to pray, to enjoy what is right in the world, recharge and join activists around the country in making sure that this drive for social justice is sustainable.