4 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Supporting Black Lives Matter
As the world continues to cry out in the wake of George Floyd’s murder on May 25th, the event has cast a light on the systemic racism that created it.
When condemnations against the atrocity, and the conditions that precipitated it gathered pace, the protests rallied around one clarion call: Black Lives Matter.
Many individuals, brands, businesses and celebrities have shown some kind of support. Many did so hesitantly, and some not at all.
But many of those pledging solidarity with the black community, do not – and perhaps more importantly will not – truly embody the principles of the cause.
They just don’t want to be caught on the wrong side of history.
Inauthentic support, whether coming from a brand, business or an individual, makes for poor foundations. It promises intent, but offers no follow-through.
When action is met with inaction, that breeds frustration, apathy and mistrust. The kind of frustration we feel at the sheer lack of measurable societal progress, since the Civil Rights movement.
And for me, I’d sooner not have support if it is not genuinely given.
To stand on a platform is a commitment. Not just to that moment, when said cause is trending, but after it stops trending.
And that’s when the real work begins. When the big moment has passed. When no one is looking.
It’s easy to share an image, or include a hashtag. It is much harder to consistently and consciously challenge the status quo – especially if you are part of it.
So, if you are outside this community, and want to show support for Black Lives Matter, by all means make your voice heard.
But before you speak out on this – or indeed any issue – I urge you to first look within.
4 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Support Black Lives Matter
- Do I truly believe in the principles of this cause, or do I feel obliged to align with them?
- Does my brand/business/venture/life embody the principles of this cause?
- Am I prepared to make measurable changes if it does not?
- Will I feel this way a year from now?
If honest the answer to these questions is ‘no’, then I implore you to do the work in learning why.
To read, engage others, search your soul, heart and history.
This is not to say that you will or must, think what I think. Perhaps you won’t at all.
But at least by then you would have hopefully stood for something. Though I’d like to think we’ll all be standing together.
– GB
To donate to the George Floyd memorial fund, click here.
To donate to Black Lives Matter, click here.