An Open Letter to My Community

I just woke up to the news.At this moment, I don’t have a lot to say. All I can say is it feels like 2012, 2016, and 2020 all over again but the shootings are impacting more demographics regularly than we’ve seen.It’s not just us being shot in broad daylight anymore, on film. It’s not just police, it’s federal agents.

If you’ve followed me and listened, you know my feelings on these issues. You know I believe in resistance, real resistance, and that I believe in the power of people to fight back.I believe in people’s capacity to do great things in the face of the darkest moments. That will never change

Historically we’ve been through darker moments, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t still hurt and feel gutting to live through them.Nobody wants to have to live through a revolution, but nobody gets to pick the time they live during.

People have been sounding the alarm for years, decades. There are people who have been pleading, especially in 2024 before the election, for folks to wake up.If this is your awakening, you’re late. You are very very late, but if you’re finally here you have a lot to learn and a lot of responsibility to accept

As a person who avidly studies history, thought, as a person currently finishing a masters in religion and public leadership, this is a moment that may be unexpected, but it is not unprecedented and that may be hard for folks to hear

We have seen time and time again the US government abuse its authority to kill, maim, abduct, terrorize, and orchestrate organized movements against its own citizens.None of it is new, but it is bolder than it has been in a long time. The political niecities have been dying out and especially in this administration.There is almost no pretending here.

In this moment, what we do matters. How we move matters.There are things that I won’t say online for a myriad of reasons, but what I will say is there are many ways to fight back and we need all of them right now.

We need the fearless protectors, the unapologetic artists, the spiritual leaders, the organizers, the educators, the content creators, the amplifiers, the cohort builders, the funders, the constructors,we need leaders and we need followers and we need them all

There has always been and will always be a role for everyone in this work, and right now whatever you can do - if you care - you need to do.It doesn’t need to be perfect, but it needs to be. We learn on the go.

To the Black folks, the Indigenous folks that feel like they’ve been unheard for too long, to the disabled folks who have been ignored, to the communities who feel like everything is too familiar, I see you.I see your pain and your exhaustion and some of you I see your burnout turned apathy derived from a lifelong struggle against the system

To the kids who are terrified, who are confused you are not alone and while you feel like this moment during your youth is unfair, it’s here and you were built for this

To the adults who woke up 10 years ago, 5 years ago, one year ago, or today, you lead in this moment immensely.

And to the elders, the civil rights activists long retired, the warriors, the militant protectors we need you but in guidance. We need to hear what you have to say because you’ve been here before. If people weren’t listening then I hope they’ll listen now.

We keep us safe. We are all we have, so find a place and use it.Today as I’m trapped at home because of a roaring storm outside I will breathe and plan. Nothing in this work can be done if we never pause. If you need to cry, sleep, scream, binge watch, give yourself the space to do that because the hurt won’t evaporate but you can build around it in how you move.Burnout is our enemy

I love you all more than they hate us.To save the people, we kill the system.

Find your tool, and get to work.

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