silence
Silence is the same as indifference.
Yet when it comes to fighting racial injustice, silence should be categorized by a lack of action rather than the absence of a public statement. While your celebrity favorites may not issue a press release to attest to their outrage, we are not privy to financial or political support they provide behind the scenes. Energy should be redirected from blaming them to making more conscious efforts in our personal lives to affect change.
Companies who regularly push social development in-house and produce content that acknowledges progressive movements around them wordlessly give us some insight into the brand’s ideologies. Artists and industry leaders who take the initiative to share infographics and donation links also clearly show that they are making efforts to raise awareness. Not every person or brand should issue an original statement in addition because actions speak louder than words. Allow brands and people to make authentic statements. If they do not, either to preserve aesthetic or to avoid controversy, there is your answer on their stance. Racism is never a controversial topic if you aren’t racist. And asking for major corporations rather than black individuals to be the dominant voices in this conversation sounds counterintuitive.
If we apply pressure on social media for people to speak about police brutality, we will continue to get platitudes from brands and influencers who capitalize off of black culture and do not care about black realities. That is not enough. Watching several companies and brand influencers misfire with their attempts at showing solidarity has made me realize why diversity in media and marketing is so important. As patrons of these companies, we have power. Consumers should rather request that influential brands/people open their purses- and be ready to close ours if they do not. “Open your purse”= put your money where your mouth is. Donate, donate, donate. If you can, spend money on local and black owned businesses. If you cannot, sign petitions. More important than the question “what has xyz celebrity said about this?” are the questions “what has xyz celebrity done?” and “what can I do personally…have I done anything at all?”
On the ground in various states, protests are becoming more radical. Critics who were silent about Amy Cooper and George Floyd have suddenly found their voices to condemn the chaos. Protestors have now been labeled thugs en masse. This is despite the fact that America has incited violence all around the world in the name of justice. Now, at a time when American civilians seek justice from their own government using that same modus operandi, we are told this is wrong and un-American. But violence has always been America’s most true form. There are no such qualms about violence when it is used against black people, but protestors who rally against injustice in their communities are being infantilized and arrested. Destruction of property brings more outrage than the destruction of black lives and that is exactly why people protest. There is no ethical way to seek justice from unethical people.
Justice is not served by any singular conviction or legislature, and neither was Rome built in a day. To find out more about how you can help, click here for a list of constantly updated resources. To share personal experiences, opinions, donation links, more ways to get involved, ongoing grassroots movements, and anything else, comment below.
Stay safe x