Black Lives Matter.
This is just a small collection of statements, quotes, and responses from individuals and organizations that I found particularly moving, insightful, and appropriate for the events and the pain our country is experiencing. This compilation has been curated to strike a balance between amplifying black voices and casting a spotlight on constructive remarks from white people, because at the end of the day, the repsonsibility to address systemic racism lies with those of us who have benefited from centuries of privilege at the expense of those who were subjected to centuries of injustice (largely at the hands of those sworn to protect them).
I hope these sentiments will inspire you to start conversations and give you a starting point in the fight for change that our country so desperately needs and deserves.
Ben & Jerry’s very direct statement:
What happened to George Floyd was not the result of a bad apple; it was the predictable consequence of a racist and prejudiced system and culture that has treated Black bodies as the enemy from the beginning. What happened to George Floyd in Minneapolis is the fruit borne of toxic seeds planted on the shores of our country in Jamestown in 1619, when the first enslaved men and women arrived on this continent. Floyd is the latest in a long list of names that stretches back to that time and that shore. Some of those names we know — Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Oscar Grant, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Emmett Till, Martin Luther King, Jr. — most we don’t.
Akilah Hughes’s monologue on Crooked Media’s daily news podcast, “What A Day”:
How many white men have you watched die in HD video? Can you name five? Cause I bet you can’t name ten. The video footage is shorthand for desensitization. You know, ask yourself why you’re even comfortable looking at a video of someone being murdered. Then ask why you’d share it with everyone you know. If it was a dog, you wouldn’t, so what’s the reasoning? For what reason should we share footage of a person being murdered? […]
When I say “don’t look away”, I don’t mean “consume black death like it’s a meme on TikTok“. I mean “look in the mirror, look at your family, look at the community you live in, look at your friend group, look at the wealthy white woman with the rescue dog in the goddamn park, okay, and don’t look away. Because we know what the problem is. No one is unclear on what the problem is. So where is the justice?
Niall Horan’s tweet:
Marques Brownlee’s vlog, “Reflecting on the Color of My Skin”:
J.K. Rowling’s loss for words:
The University of Tennessee Athletic Department’s statement:
Wherever you're reading this, it likely holds true that the cultures that exist in the sports programs at your local high school or college are much healthier than the culture in your local community. Why do these healthy cultures exist in small sports teams' locker rooms all across the country, but not in our larger communities? […]
If you're going to support our Black student-athletes when they compete, please have the courage to support them and their families in their daily pursuit of peace, happiness and equity.
Logan Lerman’s offered some succinct yet widely applicable sentiments in response to a video of a peaceful protestor being arrested:
This incredible tweet:
Taylor Swift had a stern message for President Bone Spurs:
Apple CEO Tim Cook issued a poignant statement on behalf of the company:
To create change, we have to reexamine our own views and actions in ight of a pain that is deeply felt but too often ignored. Issues of human dignity will not abide standing on the sidelines. To the Black community — we see you. You matter and your lives matter.
This is a moment when many people may want nothing more than a return to normalcy, or to a status quo that is only comfortable if we avert our gaze from injustice. As difficult as it may be to admit, that desire is itself a sign of privilege. George Floyd’s death is shocking and tragic proof that we must aim far higher than a “normal” future, and build one that lives up to the highest ideals of equality and justice.
Mugglenet points out that there really is a beautifully well fitted Harry Potter quote for almost any occasion.
“There is no shame in what you are feeling, Harry,” said Dumbledore’s voice. “On the contrary . . . the fact that you can feel pain like this is your greatest strength.”
Keke Palmer had a very moving address to members of the military at a protest:
An important message from Bernice King, daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.:
Finally, a powerful image taken at a protest in Washington D.C. by my good friend and former coworker, Derek Baker.
Black Lives Matter. ✊🏼✊🏾✊🏿
If you disagree with that simple statement or are too willfully ignorant to educate yourself and try to understand it, you should be ashamed of yourself, and CopyrightBro does not welcome your readership.
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