The World today is witnessing the fight for justice for George Floyd, social justice and a unified global war against SYSTEMIC RACISM! The wrinkles of racism are long overdue 52 years since the civil rights movement yet still police brutality, the unjust racial killing of black people, Islamophobia, homophobia and xenophobia all driven by systemic racism continue to thrive. This is not right!!!
The unjust killing of George Floyd has sparked a global movement every corner of this World , London , South America , and Europe and many other states joining the cause to end contemporary systemic racism. The global campaign is very much needed to raise awareness and fight against implicit racial systems not only for black people but also injustice and any form of discrimination for other minorities. This fight for justice for George Floyd will not be possible without the great support and solidarity from white people to end systemic racism. Globally, white people in many societies have a privileged status economically and socially. And white people understanding and acknowledging the racial flaws that exist within systems that until today has leveraged their well-being is very important to the cause for social justice. White privilege they call it.
Today, as I watch via social media the fight for racial and social justice unfolding from Minneapolis, Minnesota and spreading across states and the world capitals , I’m touched wholeheartedly by the amount of support from white people. Many white people have joined the fight for justice for George Floyd , protesting with the black community , taking rubber bullets, and a small fraction looting. Images of riot police in some states taking the knee standing with protesters and joining the peaceful parade for George Floyd and social justice are unimaginable! Turning a protest into a parade , one Sherrif sympathized with the protesters and joined the social justice caravan together with protesters. Exemplified police protection service! Taking the knee during the American national anthem is a brainchild of Colin Kaepernick, the American football quarterback who lost his job in the NFL for standing for social justice for black lives. Yes, Colin Kaepernick et al who had the courage to take the knee during the national anthem, where he was booed, insulted, threatened and he did continue to take the knee for social justice until he lost his job and the NFL could not back him. Colin Kaep still taking the knee and now more than ever, inspiring humanity to take the knee for social justice! Colin Kaepernick stood for what was right, same what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr stood for and was assassinated for back then, the liberation of social justice for black people in America. The other argument , the NFL blindsiding Colin Kaepernick fight for social justice was driven by the powers that be , the system that drives systemic racism. The plain fact is that the NFL cared more for ratings and game sales than they did for social justice until now Colin is been out of employment! However, this is indeed the time for reconciliation, pass the blame on that system and should not pass without Colin Kaepernick, the NFL and every human being born with unalienable rights equal living in full peace and justice. This is the opportunity to fix the system , in the NFL too!
Professor Charles Negy , the author of white shaming writes ‘white people often are expected to shut up, own their presumed racism, feel guilty for the wrongdoings of others who simply belonged to their racial group, this he calls ‘White Shaming’. Today, now and in the future and more than ever , the fight for racial and social justice will be won in uniform with respect and dignity for all , white people, black people and other minorities understanding the core problem for the vice of racism and fixing it! White people standing for social justice and speaking out for minorities and calling for social justice should be welcomed and given a spot in this fight for social justice. White people who standing with the black community for racial and social justice will be critical to how the system will begin to change, since most of them have the economic privilege with full knowledge how they could fix the system. White people who understands the systemic flaws will and should stand up to authorities to fix them and make societies and communities equal, without any prejudice and bias . White people standing up for social justice today, should take the knee if the system still shows flaws, as we know that continued silence is complicit to committing the racial crimes within systems. White people standing together with the black community should educate their white communities to understand the history of social justice and help fix the system. White people in law enforcement should stand up against all social injustice within the law enforcement systems and in their daily operations to treat everyone equal black or white and other minority groups. As the memory flashes back to the awful murder scene of the white policeman suffocating George Floyd breath with his knee on his neck for 8 minutes 46 seconds, could have took one socially justified and dignified policeman to stop the act, George Floyd would be home with his family today. Alas, they all took in the murder act.
The system will change if white people change, and more than ever render their support for systemic changes, solidarity and commitment to fight for black lives, social justice for all. This will be the pinnacle of social justice change within the fabric of many societies across the globe, love is contagious so is social justice. We therefore should be receptive to more and more white people joining the fight for social justice and avoid white shaming them. As the arithmetic adage goes, ‘two wrongs don’t make a right.’ As Charles Negy notes, ‘white shaming does little to unite a diverse country and instead inflames racial animosity, foments racial distrust, and pits non-whites and whites amid a never-ending list of grievances.’The act for white shaming is bullying and the bullying is a seed itself that fuels the vices for racism. Therefore, white shaming should be avoided as we conciliate, fight for George Floyd justice, system racism and absolute social justice for all. So, we should do more system shaming, standing up against oppressive and racist systems that exists within our societies whether you are black, white, Asian, and any other minority group we all in it together!
To quote one of my greatest inspiration of all time, Nelson Mandela said,
No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate , they can be taught to love, for loves comes more naturally to the human heart than it’s opposite.
Diversity anchors and guides our very own existence as homo sapiens! Without the seas, the lands, the mountains, the atmosphere, the wildlife, the seasons, the skies , the sun, the moon, the trees, the rivers , the soil , the planet and the air , there is no life.
