As a society we have some soul searching to do. But the deep injustices we face are not inevitable. They were created and facilitated through racist, hateful, bigoted public policies. That means they can be addressed by different policies—brave, inclusive, moral public policies.
There is a crisis within the crisis:
If we’re going to tackle this pandemic head-on, we can’t ignore its disproportionate effect on Black communities and the deep disparities that Black people have always faced in our health care system.
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The racist violence that killed George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor is not new in America. And what's captured on video represents only a fraction of the violence that Black Americans experience, some of it while in police custody.
So let me get this straight: Black Lives Matter protesters are tear gassed for protesting the murder of George Floyd, but MAGA protesters are left alone for bringing AR-15s inside state capitols?
But I'm not ready to give up on America. Millions have spent our lives trying to make it better. The stakes are too high. If we give up now, the forces of racism, fear, and hate will win it all. We owe it to future generations to keep fighting for social justice, forever.
Now, decades later, I wish I could say America was far better. We certainly have tried to be. But racism is as virulent. Our foreign policy is as dangerous. We are totally unprepared for a deadly pandemic. Unemployment has skyrocketed. And there’s a racist in the White House.