‘Hate begets hate.’
By Jiya Kathuria, PWSA Grade 11
As inhabitants of this broken planet, we witness incidents of the injustice and chaos that governs it on a daily basis. From racist policies to wars waged in the name of religion, it is apparent that discrimination and division are at the centre of the mayhem.
Although we are amidst a catastrophic global pandemic that has claimed numerous lives across the world, the fight against racism continues as protestors storm the streets in the name of the ‘Black Lives Matter Movement’. When thousands of people risk their lives to demand justice during such a challenging time, it is a clear sign of a flawed system. Although, these protests were triggered by the unlawful death of George Floyd; they are not the result of a single isolated incident. They were birthed out of the need for justice for the lives lost at the hands of officers of the law.
Tamir Rice. Ahmaud Arbery. Breonna Taylor. Brianna Hill. Tony McDade. Darrien Hunt. Sandra Bland. Trayvon Martin. Michael Brown. Eric Garner.
These are just a few names of people who were slain due to nothing but the colour of their skin. These patterns of injustice are a clear indicator of a flawed system.
Moreover, the flawed system is aggravated when we refrain from speaking up. Often, we remain silent because we’re afraid to say the wrong thing, especially because everyone who takes a stand is thoroughly criticized. However, it is imperative to keep in mind that “the only wrong thing to say is to say nothing”, as said by Meghan Markle.
But silence is compliance in a time wherein the necessary course of action is defiance against a miserably failing system.
Proof of the power that lies in human solidarity can be seen by the extensive changes in policies and practices implemented ensuing the BLM protests. For example, in cities such as: Minneapolis and New York, the city council voted to defund and dismantle the police force and replace them with trained professionals. Furthermore, the protests resulted in an increased sentence for the officers involved in the killing of George Floyd. Moreover, a plethora of similar cases- such as that of Breonna Taylor- were reopened, as the protests compelled authorities to attempt to bring black victims of police brutality to justice.
Additionally, people all across the world have finally begun to take accountability for their actions that have led to the perpetuation of racist policies. For example, numerous celebrities have issued formal and sincere apologies for offensive content created over the years and most of them have taken strict action to rectify their past mistakes. Such as the resignation of the co-founder and executive chairman of Reddit- Alexis Ohanian- to make way of people of colour in the industry. Subsequently, over $100 million have been invested to aid communities of colour across the United States of America. Thus highlighting the revolutionary impact of the ‘Black Lives Matter Movement’ that has resulted in eternally altered dynamics.
As adolescents we must remember that the fight against racism is monumental in defining our future as the youth of tomorrow. While it is helpful and productive for us to sign petitions and employ social media as a tool to create awareness, it is not enough for us to just do that. We must also have those gruelling, heart-wrenching conversations with our loved ones and help them grow by calling them out on their oppressive thought-processes. As adolescents we must also remember that the sole saving grace of this utterly broken world are the notions of unity and love.