Over the past week I have been trying to do my part to read and educate myself further on all different thoughts and perspectives on racial injustice. These above images are posts either from President Barack Obama, activists, celebrities, or even just my peers..that resonated with me a lot and I thought were worth sharing for whoever chooses to read this brief blog post. I think they are very powerful messages and I hope you take the time to read each one. Some of these images are just educational messages while others are actions you can choose to take if you so choose to do so. Also feel free to message me if you would like to add anything to my gallery. Would love to add others thoughts!
I have been doing a lot of reflection on my thoughts of the racial injustices our country has faced for hundreds of years, and I believe the combination of these above images by various people across the country use their words to best describe a lot of my thoughts and opinions on the injustices on the black community population that have not only occurred recently but have occurred for the past hundreds of years. However, I wanted to give my quick below thoughts on my own take of messages that aren't being emphasized enough and I am a person who believes in not only just education and sending messages out, and that's very important and the first step, but also taking viable next steps for actions to create actual change. President Obama outlines a lot of very necessary steps in my above images but I wanted to give my thoughts on a few more I have come up with or read about that made a lot of sense to me. However, I do recognize these thoughts/opinions are coming from a privileged white male, so if anyone has any thoughts or disagreements or a different perspective than the one I give..I am always open to conversation and different ideas/perspectives, so please don't hesitate to reach out to me and discuss your agreements or disagreements with my take.
The beginning steps towards racial justice (although this is something that should be ongoing on not end just here):
-We need to first have the police officers who have caused harmed to get the harsh punishment they deserve, this is more than just third degree murder. This was first degree murder and needs to be treated like it. The officers who stood by and did nothing, need harsh punishment too.
-Second, future trainings within all police academies on racism, racial biases, diversity/inclusion, non-lethal quick response tactics, etc...is definitely something that should be mandatory but it shouldn't stop there. Trainings alone won’t effect the cops that have chosen to ignore these trainings because these same cops aren’t harming white folks..they simply choose just not to exercise these trainings they have been taught with black folks due to their inner racism. Action needs to be done outside of just racial bias and diversity training.
-There must be mandatory reform across all county and state police departments to have leadership re-work their hiring of future police officers to make sure a racist officer does not get through the process and especially does not go into leadership. It also enacts law change in our federal government to make sure this is all nationally followed through and not just by a few states or counties.
-All police departments need to enact very harsh punishments for any officer who does get complaints of racism, there should never have been a police officer who got 8 complaints and had nothing done about it.
-The media NEEDS to control the narrative in the right way. The media is already spinning every protest into only focusing on the riots and violence and already switching the narrative away from the real reason these protests are happening. Every time the media focuses on a riot and doesn't discuss the anger and frustrations from all these injustices that led up to the protest, the media is contributing to the racial injustices as well. Let's also not forget the protests turned violent are a majority of the time caused by the police force and looters not a part of the protest trying to take advantage of the situations.
-Voices need to be continued to be heard through social media, interviews, and protests across the world because the black populations voices haven’t been heard their whole life. These actions on correcting injustices shouldn't just end with the police force. The world has chosen to finally start to listen after a knee killed a life but refused to listen when a completely harmless knee hit the grass during a peaceful protest done by Colin Kaepernick (see previous post on my thoughts about this) and many others. Do whatever it takes to get your voice heard (education, posts, petition, discussions, protests, etc.) so these injustices against the black community can finally initiate positive change. It is time for the world to start LISTENING and taking action!!!
-Rolls Report
RIP George Floyd. Thoughts and prayers are going out to him and his loves ones. The time is always right to do what is right.- MLK