Over the last four weeks, rather than posting I have chosen to spend my time with my friends and colleagues, listening to and learning from them, reaching out to, and supporting them.
But engaging with friends and colleagues isn’t enough. I must also speak up publicly. We all should be speaking up, publicly.
This isn’t about race, it’s about right and wrong.
It’s also about racism and murder. George Floyd was murdered. But for the video, I suspect his death would have been reported as a fatal “heart attack” while in custody.
Sadly, this isn’t only about George Floyd, or Rayshard Brooks or Ahmaud Arbery, or Breonna Taylor. Actually, we have no idea how long the list is, and they each deserve justice.
This is also about underlying issues that are systemic, institutional, and deep-seated.
There is a lot to absorb and more to do. Change starts with listening and learning, and accepting our individual and collective failures. This deserves and demands our taking real and sustained action to change the course of future events.
What isn’t complicated in all this is that the murders, the brutality, the racism all need to end. Now.
Self-reflection isn’t enough. Black Lives Matter.
Originally published on LinkedIn.com