Join the Revolution: Justice for George Floyd
This is an expanded & edited version of Dr. Logan’s 5/27 Facebook post.
As a Black man myself raising three Black sons, each Black man killed like George Floyd was, kills a part of me…and everything lives off the death of something else. SO….the struggle lives on and continues to feed a part of my Black male identity.
In 1971, Gill Scott Heron said,”The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.” Well… in this day of cell phone videos, some among us are fooled into thinking that the revolution is being televised. Consider how close we can feel to the action when watching protests live on TV, how many people we see live-streaming their angry and sad reactions to horrific events, and how being armed with a smartphone ensures that every small tiff or major violation of human rights will be recorded for posterity. THIS, my good people, is NOT the revolution! This is a mere reflection of the destruction of our humanity — destruction perpetrated and destruction lived.
The Real Revolution
The revolution must begin in our MINDS: we — all people — need a new mental construct of what it means to be Black, to be American, and to be Human in these times. This must begin with critical reflection and introspection!
The revolution must begin in our HEARTS: we {all — some more than others} need LOVE…NOT some Romeo & Juliet stuff…but a TRUE love of self, a love of life, of our planet, a love for one another, and a love for something greater than our own hedonistic desires, wants, and wishes. This must begin with a knowledge of truth!
The revolution must begin in our SOUL: in that space within us that is distinct from us — greater than we are — where morality lies, where spirit emanates from, that place deep within that is too often distracted by the trappings of society, discouraged by the onslaught of negativity, and disconnected from truth, purpose, and meaning. This must begin with abrasive soul inquiry!
Bravery
And NONE of this revolution will be televised. For, as Francois de la Rochefoucauld said, “True bravery is shown by performing without witness what one might be capable of doing before all the world.” Unlike ever before, right now, we are all called on to be our bravest of selves.
Bravery and audacity can begin with grappling with a few questions:
Readers who are White: In what ways have you been socialized into an ideology of yourself as a White person as dominant and of people of color as less than? Are you brave enough to admit that — like people of color — you too have been miseducated into false notions of what it means to be White, American and human? What do you do with what you may come to realize? How do you dismantle untruths in your life? How will you create community with the rest of humanity?
Readers who are Non-Black POC: How might you have been taught to demonize other people of color, especially Black people? How might you be playing into stereotypes and perpetuating them? How do you dismantle untruths in your life? What brave steps can you take to build bridges from your own pain & oppression towards that of others — and African Americans in particular right now?
Readers who are Black: In what ways have you been socialized to internalize the racial oppression you perpetually experience in your life and routinely see in the media? Are you brave enough to explore and discover where your miseducation may lie? How do you preserve your soul and prevent racism from eroding goodness, hope, your faith, connection with others, and your own humanity? How do you heal from the multigenerational trauma being experienced today?
Act
It is from this space that we are justified in our outrage, anger, and full frustration! For, anyone NOT riled by injustice, I dare say, is devoid of some level of their own humanity, as was the Minneapolis police officer who killed George Floyd by kneeling on his neck; like the other officers who were complicit in casually standing by and callously watching; as is Amy Cooper, the New Yorker who played the race card by calling police on birdwatcher Christian Cooper on the same day George Floyd was killed by the police.
It is from this place that we must ACT! Act towards the illness at the top by doing all that is necessary to vote in a new president and a new congress. Act towards the illnesses within our inner core that are the source of the strife in the world. Act on any number of the plethora of issues in between what’s happening nationally and what’s happening individually that plague our planet, our life, and our existence. Act on the injustice that publicly lynched our fellow human being, brother George Floyd. Join the revolution!
