Are you still Outraged?

Or did that outrage you felt so viscerally dissipate as the weeks and months passed since George Floyd’s death. As they say, time heals all wounds. But should we let it?

Racism is the pandemic that will long outlast #COVID19. When the team at Boloco and I joined about 100 others (ONLY 100… should have been 1000s) at the Massachusetts State House on Monday for #StrikeForBlackLives, it was clear that anti-racism is still an embryo of a movement. The sign behind Max says it all.

Outraged does not require turning to violence. While I understand why many people see no outlet other than taking the kind of action that can lead to violence… meaning I understand their deep, deep sense of frustration coupled with a feeling they have nothing to lose… violence has consequences that often take away from the ultimate goal. That said, if only 100 people show up to a demonstration like they did in Boston yesterday, that’s not going to do anything either.

Our outrage needs to attract others, compel others to join a cause that is worth fighting for. It shouldn’t be about scaring people, because my experience tells me that those in power, those who are thriving during pre- and post-covid times, are not going to be easily scared. If they were, we wouldn’t have the challenges that we have today.