On this day we remember those who willingly serve with their lives to protect freedom and democracy. I choose to acknowledge the many men and women of color that chose to serve this country during WWII and who, upon their return, were not afforded the same financial opportunities (the GI bill of 1944) of their white counterparts. (Please note: The fight against Hitler and the Nazi regime in Europe was *** anti-fascist ***. If you donāt know what that means, you misunderstand history and the holocaust. Itās what the entire western world banded together to stop; FASCISM. Therefore, we should all be ANTI-FASCIST.) That denial of the same financial opportunities highlights another vital piece of American history on the same day; the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre. Approximately 150-200 Black Americans were killed, 35 square city blocks leveled, 10,000 left homeless and destitute. Named āBlack Wall Streetā, Tulsa was notable due to Black people working to āsecure economic progress despite the continued pain of institutional and overt racismā. White people decided this was too much and destroyed it all in one day. (Link in BIO) This brings us to another set of milestones that, though not directly connected, you can find a throughline from that event to these 2 others of May 25th, 2021 (last week); the 1-year anniversary of the death of George Floyd, and what would be the 28th birthday of Kaleif Browder. (Please search Kalief Browder and read his story.) Both men died due to the horrific relationship between law enforcement and people of color in America. This is not about being anti-police. If you think that, you need to read some history. Celebrate this day, remember how fortunate you are to have this time freely with family and friends, especially if you are white. You are privileged every day to walk down the street without societal structures built to keep you lesser than, even when you work just as hard, or fight just as hard, for those freedoms. ___________________________ #memorialday #blacklivesmatter #tulsaracemassacre #tulsa #antifascism #kaleifbrowder #georgefloyd #america #racism https://www.instagram.com/p/CPjOph7s7-T/?utm_medium=tumblr
