justice for george floyd. justice for ahmaud arbery. justice for breonna taylor.
justice for the black and brown queer & trans lives lost that did not carry enough weight to seed the storm alone.
Black lives were itemized, optimized and intended for exploitation from the inception of the concept of a Black American. Indigenous people were pilfered and exterminated.
Black lives always mattered—they are simply expendable.
Black lives were intended as a means to an end.
Black lives must do more than matter. Black lives must be valued, respected, revered—like many systems, groups and belief systems spout “all life” should be.
Time and time again, evidence lies on the table that reinforces the historic narrative that black lives are expendable.
& here we are.
It is numbing to think about the death of George Floyd only being the last straw highlighting a myriad of injustices to be pointed at and burned concerning the current administration, and the “mystery” of de-stabilization/de-prioritization of black, brown and/or impoverished lives—economically and medically—in the COVID-19 pandemic.
It angers me that the people who feel the impact and fear the implications of the nation’s police state have to turn to violence and capitalistic disruption to be heard. It may not be right, but it may not be wrong.
It hurts me that people who pound the pavement can prioritize the threat the nation’s police state poses to the health and quality of life for black and brown people beyond the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic.
I am intrigued by the pursuit of “more” via violence and capitalistic disruption, seeing one “fuck you” to the capitalistic system spawning from a recreation of some of the core principles of indulgence and never-ending “gain”.
I am soured by the prioritization black and brown people of “higher” socioeconomic castes have made of their material possessions over systemic change and distress in the cultural consciousness of black and brown bodies. Especially seeing as problems still exist that some black and brown moguls, artists and entrepreneurs have set out to impact. current methods of intervention have either been ineffective or need much more time to penetrate and maintain effect.
I am saddened by the power “luxury” items and brands hold, and the willingness to risk wellness to profit off of items that confer more status and meaning onto one’s body.
I am saddened that black, brown and/or impoverished individuals can feel so deeply the meaning these luxury items confer onto their bodies, that the risks assumed to acquire items and make attention per capitalistic disruption and violence are worth the benefits of pointing the middle finger and using the spoils.
However, I cannot say I am surprised that such an overflow would finally touch ground with the pause on so many streams of media, entertainment, work and play that keep heads down and eyes fixed away from these very issues.