HATE IN PLAIN SIGHT

I can't remember the last time I stayed up till 7:30 AM, trying to get work done. This kind of work is a different kind of emotional drain. I know I need to replenish my spirit and I am doing so as we read. I am so passionate about putting the turmoil black people are going through right now in words. It is difficult, dark, broken. Our world needs breaking down and rebuilding. Last weekend, I felt the heaviest I had felt in a long time. I saw my Instagram feed turn completely black. It infuriated me, frightened me, almost making me feel hopeless. I was in a panic, but I wanted to help undo the trickery that just took place. If you don't know what I'm talking about, I'm referring to Blackout Tuesday, June 2nd. In solidarity with Black people, people were posting a completely black photo. The plan was this: Post the photo with the hashtag #TheShowMustBePaused and #BlackoutTuesday; Cease all personal endorsements in the form of selfie, business advertisements, etc; Spread information about organizations to donate to, petitions to sign. It went south when the message got misconstrued by an audience the hashtag wasn’t initially intended for. The game of telephone went bad SO quickly. I think I saw the first #TheShowMustBePaused after 1 AM, Tuesday, and by 2 AM, there were over 10 million black photos under the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter.

The reason this was so scary was that people are using the #BLM tag for vital information. We are quite literally all we have, and by 'we' I mean the people, protesters, Black people. The media continues to prove their allegiance to white supremacy and the only other outlet we have is word of mouth, AKA social media. People on the ground (the phrase used to describe those who are actual participants in the events the media is talking about, ie. protests) took to Instagram and Twitter to post videos, photos, transcriptions, counteracting the lies of omission of the media. We're living in wild times people. Millennials and Gen Z'ers are familiar with using social media as gospel, but this is different. Now, more than ever, the truth needs to be broadcasted globally.

Social media has redefined what a revolution looks like, not to mention it gets increasingly difficult to be on it for hours at a time. It's triggering, overwhelming, and flooded with more impostors now than ever before. People are getting exposed, and to put it more spiritually, the enemy is getting exposed. If it wasn't clear before, hate is in plain sight. Black people have been dying at the hand of white supremacy for over a century and we've reached a point of total exasperation. Our response to the recent murders of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others, was predictable. What does anyone do when they get continuously kicked under the table after kindly asking for it to stop? They kick back.

I will not pretend to know all that it will take to reach social justice, but I will say I think it's going to take more than a few policy changes. My immediate reaction to a lot of what is going on is anger, which I think is a reflection of how God feels that this is happening to His people. He knew it was coming and I believe He still has a plan for it all. 

We're in the middle of, if not the coincidental end, of a pandemic and a revolution. I've already chosen which side I'm on. I will always stand on the truth.

If you are protesting, please be safe. If you are not, don't stop using every outlet available to spread the truth, whether by word of mouth or social media.

Xoxo, richelle k.

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven"