January + Justice: A Reflection on Anti-Racism
Personal Photo/Film Project – the ABCs of Right Now
I have been doing an ABC personal project about these current times during Covid Quarantine. Each week, my photos connect to a letter of the alphabet.
This week is J, the 10th week of the project. My words are January and Justice. This is a photo I took of my kids this past January, when our nation was simmering, but it had not yet boiled over.
I turned this photo upside down to symbolize our nation right now. When we search for something that has slipped unnoticed to the bottom of our bag, we tip it upside down and shake it out. Often, we discover other lost items along the way. Racism has always been there. It has taken the recent violence to shake these out into greater public awareness.
These deep rooted feelings of anger and fear go further back than any of us have been alive. But we all have the power to create change, even if they are small changes within our own families.
White Privilege is Real
White privilege is real and is automatic within this culture, regardless of how racist and anti-racist a white person may be.
As a mother to two white boys, I know I have a duty to teach them to be loving of all humanity. They need to know to listen and learn with open hearts. They need to understand that we are all stronger when we build each other up and work together.
As a mother, my boys need to learn to choose the path that will create greater good for all human beings so that maybe, someday, white privilege becomes a thing of history. Our kids are our hope, and it starts with us right now.
I see you. I hear you. I support you. And I’m still learning. 🖤 Together we are always stronger. I’m ready for the hard work it will take. Are you?
“Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.”
Martin Luther King Jr.
