On Ahmaud and Breonna — and George, and so many others

“True courage is to do without witnesses everything that one is capable of doing before the world.” Francois de la Rochefoucauld

In the upheaval of the pandemic, it is hard to imagine life getting even harder… but we know that it does get harder and has gotten harder, and these days we particularly feel that in the Black community. Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor are two more Black lives lost in the epidemic that is state-sanctioned violence against Black bodies — and that was before the horrific killing of George Floyd a few weeks ago. To those of us that have been paying attention — to those of us whose Blackness forces us to pay attention — this is not new, and this is not surprising. But the unbelievable delay in any sort of recognition or justice in Ahmaud’s and Breonna’s cases is bringing the outrage about their deaths to a fever pitch. Justice delayed is justice denied, and justice is delayed when we as a society fail to hold perpetrators accountable. Why should it take white Americans sharing their outrage on Instagram and Twitter for arrests to be made in the case of Ahmaud Arbery, when his family has been asking for justice for months? What society takes two months to acknowledge the unjust and violent death of an innocent woman — a health care hero, no less?

Of course, there are no answers to this. The grieving continues for those families who have faced tragic losses.

But what do we do in the face of all this?

Those of us who see ourselves in the faces of the victims and their families grieve, and mourn, and continue to fear for our lives. And we bear the burden of leading our communities in the fight for justice. Our allies continue to follow our lead and to amplify our message. But more can always be done. Let us not be shy in examining the ways that we can hold our leaders and elected officials accountable for keeping us — all of us — safe. This refers not just to working on improving race relations and moving towards a more inclusive and anti-racist society, but also to minimizing access to deadly weapons.

How can you, your family, your school, or your organization get involved and stand up for justice? Even if no one is watching — what can you commit to doing that will improve your community?

Check out our upcoming blog posts on things to do, where to donate, and what to learn, and in the meantime, refresh your memory on the steps to allyship.