Suli Breaks is a spoken word artist from the UK, best known for his videos and poems on our education system. Yesterday, he released a new video responding to the Eric Garner verdict.
It's Not so Black and White (R.I.P. Eric Garner)
"The only reason they allow us to oppose the violence, stating that it's 'racially motivated,' is that's the only way we remain segregated...saying that it's 'racially motivated' makes everyone else feel like as long as they're not black, they're safe."
"We need to acknowledge that in the eyes of this system, we are all black."
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Other than sharing news articles, I've been avoiding speaking out too much about the police brutality cases going on nationwide. I haven't felt like it's my place to do so. I grew up in an area that is, according to the 2010 census, 94.5% white, and very affluent. I went to a private Catholic college. I currently live in New England (in a town that is 93.4% white.) So, yeah, not my place to speak up in a conversation that's almost entirely about race or low socioeconomic standing. I have been happy to remain on the sidelines and cheer.
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And from conversations I've both heard and read, that seems to be the general consensus of what "Allies" are supposed to do in these circumstances. I hear it all the time from my peers in the LGBTetc. community -- cishets can't fight our fights. There is no "A for Ally" in our acronym, they belong in the background. Same goes for feminism -- "No uterus, no opinion!" We have a tendency to attack anyone who doesn't share our exact experiences for daring to voice anything at all related to those experiences, even sometimes if it's to ask questions or lend support.
I understand those perspectives. Certainly an ally should never be at the top of their fighting ranks. They should never deign to speak for whichever group they're supporting. But...Allies aren't just background people. They're not just there to add numbers to your ranks and hold signs and bang drums. Allies fight. WWII would have ended completely differently if Allies didn't talk to each other, share tactics, and fight alongside each other.
I'd like to also point out an secondary definition for the word ally:
"Biology. a plant, animal, or other organism bearing an evolutionary relationship to another, often as a member of the same family:
The squash is an ally of the watermelon." (x)
If you're an ally, an true ally, you deserve a seat at the table with the rest of the family.
It's not all black/white, gay/straight, cis/trans, man/woman. We need to cut these bullshit dichotomies' throats and stop separating when we should be uniting against a system that treats us all the same.
We're all human. It's time we stand together.
