We are told that riots are not the answer, because they are violent: We peacefully march, and sometimes those marches shut down bridges.
We are told shutting down bridges is not the answer because it could be harmful to people having an emergency: We kneel during the national anthem.
We are told kneeling during the national anthem is not the answer because it is disrespectful…We sit at home and do nothing?
The truth is, we are being asked to protest in a manner that in no way, shape, or form disrupts society or anyone’s daily life, which completely defies the point of protesting (by definition of the word protest).
However, the problem is not a misunderstanding of the definition of protest, or how it works, it’s that those against it simply don’t want it happening when it involves race (and a few other hot button issues), because the conversation that follows is often difficult and can feel accusatory.
Don’t believe me? Try this: When people go on strike for unfair wages and disrupt a company (perhaps forcing many more people out of a job), the response is not “stop going on strike” or “you’re going on strike in the wrong way.” Rather, it is something akin to “let’s address the problem so we can function again.” At that point the union steps in and “has the hard talk” and the business moves forward. Why is it so hard to apply that same thought process to race relations in America? Stop asking for us to find another way to protest, and instead, help us want to stand up with you. We aren’t against you, we just want you to be with us.
Too often we use the success of a few as an excuse to marginalize the struggles of the whole. Just because we have made significant progress, it does not mean that the job is done. We talk about sacrifice as being an American ideal. I'd call it sacrifice to willingly give up your status as being well-liked and having it all, to take an action that you knew would result in you being jeered, mocked, and disrespected, just to give voice to those who are rarely heard, and always ignored.
