HOW WE TAKE ACTION
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Black Lives Matter |
This time is extremely triggering for me. It brought me right back to high school. I have blocked out a lot of my high school experience to save my mental health.
My high school experience was met with people telling me that Tamir Rice and Trayvon Martin deserved to die but in the same comment say they love “Black” or “chocolate men”. I was met with people telling me that Black people needed to relax and stop being so angry about it. I was met with people questioning if my hair was “real” or not. I was met with being questioned by administration on who’s car I was driving and “How I got it.” I was met with being called a horrible role model and a liar for speaking out against the mistreatment of Black people at school and in the country. I was met with administrators calling me the “level headed one” and the “easiest one to talk to out of all of them.” If you think I was exhausted then, just think how exhausted I am now.
I was told to be quiet and to relax. I did not fully enjoy my high school experience, but what I will say is it made my voice grow. I did not stay silent then and I won’t do it now.
People who look like me are dying. People who look like me are automatically always in danger. At home playing video games , in the car, on a jog, the list goes on and on.
I share these things that occurred to me in high school with everyone because I want to challenge those people who said these things and thought these things to do better. I hope you have done better but now I really challenge you to do it.
If you love our culture then support us. If you have pulled the “I have Black friends” card, where are you? If your concern is safety during protests there are other ways. Marching and being outside isn’t the only way you can support.
Donate to help those who have been arrested for protesting. Donate to the families(if you are able to during this time) . Reach out to a Black friend, check in on them. Do research (do not expect your Black friend to always educate you). The list goes on and on. Find a way to support because your silence shows me a lot.
Do something.
--Chelsea Greene
My high school experience was met with people telling me that Tamir Rice and Trayvon Martin deserved to die but in the same comment say they love “Black” or “chocolate men”. I was met with people telling me that Black people needed to relax and stop being so angry about it. I was met with people questioning if my hair was “real” or not. I was met with being questioned by administration on who’s car I was driving and “How I got it.” I was met with being called a horrible role model and a liar for speaking out against the mistreatment of Black people at school and in the country. I was met with administrators calling me the “level headed one” and the “easiest one to talk to out of all of them.” If you think I was exhausted then, just think how exhausted I am now.
I was told to be quiet and to relax. I did not fully enjoy my high school experience, but what I will say is it made my voice grow. I did not stay silent then and I won’t do it now.
People who look like me are dying. People who look like me are automatically always in danger. At home playing video games , in the car, on a jog, the list goes on and on.
I share these things that occurred to me in high school with everyone because I want to challenge those people who said these things and thought these things to do better. I hope you have done better but now I really challenge you to do it.
If you love our culture then support us. If you have pulled the “I have Black friends” card, where are you? If your concern is safety during protests there are other ways. Marching and being outside isn’t the only way you can support.
Donate to help those who have been arrested for protesting. Donate to the families(if you are able to during this time) . Reach out to a Black friend, check in on them. Do research (do not expect your Black friend to always educate you). The list goes on and on. Find a way to support because your silence shows me a lot.
Do something.
--Chelsea Greene
Featuring Trinidad and Tobago star international conductor Kwame Ryan and Perfect Circle an inspiring interview with Carlton Wilkinson Brunswick Review September 17 2020. Link
Sen The Hon Dr Carla Barnett Belize Minister of State statement to Ministers of Finance at the UN General Assembly Special Session Sept 8 2020. Link
(ii) Саrlа Ваrnеtt Belize’s Minister for labour, local government and rural development says: “We do run the risk of losing our development gains and having a lot of people fall back into poverty,” Link
