#blackandbrownunity

—beautiful design by @ohhappydani

As people of color we have a responsibility to stand up and protect not only our own but others. As a people we should feel some type of responsibility + duty to protect our neighbor.

Although I am a person of color, I am not black.

I don’t know what it feels like to be black in this country and I especially don’t know what it feels like to be a black man in this country.

I only have my personal experience as a Mexican American woman.

I also have the experience of seeing the men in my family being racially profiled and threatened but time after time I see them and other members of my community being forced into submission...

Brainwashed into thinking that they shouldn’t speak up

Brainwashed into thinking that they are being strong for not saying anything when it comes to what happens to them in their own country.

Feeling good that they are not causing waves so that they can appease those that can take everything they love dearly away...

I almost compare it to little kids in class both labeled as “trouble makers” one mocking the other for not “shutting up,” not being smarter to know when to lay low, and feeling as though they know how to follow the rules better

For those that think this way I bet you feel some type of pride and satisfaction for being able to “survive” in the way that you do

but that thinking is backwards

This is not unity. This doesn’t make you any smarter or wiser

To see your equal (because that is what we all are if you needed reminding) being kicked bruised beaten murdered should not make you immediately congratulate yourself for all of the years of silence... for all the years you were in the same position yet you chose to stay quiet or not tell your story.

This should outrage you

This is not the time to sit around saying well if they would’ve just stopped resisting

If they would’ve just stopped...

if they would’ve just...

It’s not about the “would’ve justs”

& Yes I understand there are back stories to every news article

There are facts that don’t care about your feelings

But the fact of the matter here is that no human being should feel an authority over the length of time we get to stay on this earth.

No person should be able to feel so entitled over a life that they make the decision if we live or die.

We as people of color have to come together to understand that this could have been anyone.

Your tio your brother even your grandfather.

& I know for 1000% certain you would not talk about it and add “well if they just would have...”

Because that is not the point here

and you are doing a disservice to the families that have lost a loved one & you are disrespecting the people whose lives were stolen from them.

As people of color we can no longer be like that little kid in the classroom who is happy the attention is not on him right now...

we cannot take pride and satisfaction that we are safe just because someone else is being the scapegoat for the community.

We cannot sit back and watch our brothers and sisters be treated in the ways they do today

What happened yesterday and all the other unthinkable countless days cannot happen again.

we have to choose to be uncomfortable

we have to choose to have that spotlight on us in hopes that things will get better for all people.

We have to put faith back into the minds + hearts of our black brothers and sisters so that they will know that we will always stand up and do what is right even in the toughest of situations, that no matter what/who is against them they will know we are not scared to take the heat,

that we will not be pit against each other for some false approval any longer, & that united... black & brown we will always be family & as family we will not turn a blind eye & allow another beautiful soul be taken away from our community.