“I have found that battling despair does not mean closing my eyes to the enormity of the tasks of effecting change, nor ignoring the strength and the barbarity of the forces aligned against us. It means teaching, surviving and fighting with the most important resource I have, myself, and taking joy in that battle. It means, for me, recognizing the enemy outside and the enemy within, and knowing that my work is part of our power, and knowing that this work did not begin with my birth nor will it end with my death. And it means knowing that within this continuum, my life and my love and my work has particular power and meaning relative to others.”
Audre Lorde, The Cancer Journals
Beyond the Quote (153/365)
Even when the tasks set in front of us for affecting change are massive—we mustn’t waver. We mustn’t close our eyes. We mustn’t let the size of the task stop us from taking every possible step we can to keep moving forward as individuals and as a society. For, any big change can only ever happen effectively as a result of a collective series of small efforts. These small efforts collect one by one from each individual person and person by person as a collective group. There is no one person who is “big” enough to handle this task on their own and there is no one person who is “small” enough to contribute to the collective effort that unites us as a whole.
The strength and the barbarity of the forces aligned against us can’t be underestimated, forgotten about, or left to their own devices. We are where we are today because of the actions taken yesterday. If we want to be somewhere else tomorrow, we need to take new actions today. If we leave everything the way it is, we will continue to see more of the same in the future. Why wouldn’t that be the case? There needs to be a fundamental restructuring of the way things are so as to change the results we get moving forward. You wouldn’t argue against this logic with your health would you? No change in diet or exercise and you wouldn’t see any change in your health. The same is true with our justice departments and attitudes as a society.
This is a mission of teaching, surviving, and fighting with the most important resource we have: ourselves. We have to take pride and ownership in this battle and fight for a future where black people aren’t just trying to survive, but are able to thrive. Thrive in the same way any other person living in the same, equal society is able to. Thrive in the way America promises its people they may—regardless of race. We have to use this momentum of upset to carry forward a message that will reform crucial systems in our society in order to leave the world better, more fair, and more just. This won’t happen overnight. We have to educate ourselves, educate our children, engage in conversations with those most connected to the movement, and engage in conversations with those who are confused or counterproductive to the movement. WE are the most important resource to this effort of change. And we have to carry forth this message and mission for as long as it takes.
One of the hardest things we all must do at this time is take a close look, not just at the failures and flaws of the world, but at the failures and flaws within ourselves. What is happening in the world is a reflection of what is happening within—it always will be. We have to ask ourselves if we have been a part of the problem or a part of the solution—because there is no neutral. We have to ask ourselves if we have been listening or if we have been watching. We have to think back to how we have been acting and look deeply into our intentions: were we just trying to not be a part of the problem, or were we trying to be an active part of the solution? I know for me, in retrospect, I undoubtedly could have done more in many situations throughout my life. Some of my best friends are black and I thought that me not being racist was enough—it’s not. This is about going out of our way to stand up for what’s right and show them our support.
What we do matters. Yesterday, today, tomorrow—all of it. What we do is all we will ever have. What we do is precisely what our lives are made up of—not intentions or thoughts—actions. What we did yesterday is over and done with—there is no changing that. What we might do tomorrow is certainly important to think about so as to guide the actions we’re planning on taking. What we do today, however, is the most important. For today, this moment, is all we ever really have. And right now, we have an opportunity to act in a way that moves the needle of fairness, equality, and justice more towards what is right, correct, and equal. And if not just for our sake, but for the sake of our children, we need to CHANT, YELL, ACT, STAND, KNEEL, MARCH, WRITE, READ, LISTEN, REFLECT, AND CONVERSE with everything we’ve got to move that damn needle. Because the weight of that needle set in front of us is HEAVY and it will take the united life force of as many people as possible to move it. I hope you’ll join us—we could really use your help.
Read Next: 40 Empowering Quotes on Justice and How Silence Is As Bad As Injustice Itself
Don't Let the Motivation Stop There...!
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