Holding Space for Grief
Yet another unarmed Black man - Daunte Wright - was murdered by the police this past week during a traffic stop. Infuriating injustice and racism at the hands of an officer sworn to protect and defend - an officer training others.
If Daunte had been white, there’s no question he would still be alive today. Unarmed white people are not killed by the police - and even ARMED white people are treated with dignity and minimal force. Black people deserve to be treated with the same dignity.
We mourn the loss and rage against the racist systems of oppression that continue to dehumanize, injure, and kill Black people.
There are no adequate words - just raw emotion crying out from our souls.
Disgust
Anger
Fear
Rage
Terror
Grief
This is not the time for tempering feelings or providing excuses. We cannot skip to the happy ending. We don’t get to bypass grief - ours or the grief of others. There is no time limit, no ‘right way’ to grieve. Just the agony of our hearts spilling out.
We cry and protest. We demand justice. We refuse to be silent. It may seem ugly and uncomfortable for some, but then injustice never is comfortable or pretty.
We listen to the pain of the Wright family and grieve with all Black people.
We say his name: Daunte Wright. We hold space for tears, for anger, for utter heartbreak, for grief.
And then we allow the anger and grief to fuel our action to upend white supremacy and systems of oppression in this country. We continue to say and show that Black lives matter.
To hold today: Space for grief. How will you create room for the raw emotion crying out from your soul?