The brutal killing of a man thousands of kilometers from home, on a continent I have never been to. I am neither black nor white, I am brown, and yet this brutality meted out to George Floyd still affects me and I wonder why? Is it because of the visuals that stun me on every social platform? Is it because #BlackLivesMatter is trending? Or is it the inherent empathy in all of us that reaches out across boundaries? Whatever the reason, the truth is, I care. I care about a man I have never met, from a country I have never stepped foot in, and my breath stops every time I hear him on the video say “I can’t breathe”.
But this is not just about George Floyd, it is about the millions of lives all over the world who are suppressed in one way or another. In this case, death seems to be the cap on the situation. A few praiseworthy bystanders brought to light what may have happened to many others, some of whose stories have not been recorded. But imagine the many who have not died, but, are yet experiencing ethnic, racial, societal, and social suppression in one form or another.
“I am neither black nor white, I am brown, and yet this brutality meted out to George Floyd still affects me and I wonder why? Is it because of the visuals that stun me on every social platform? Is it because # Black LivesMatter is trending? Or is it the inherent empathy in all of us that reaches out across boundaries?”
Recently a friend of mine posted a though-provoking doodle from @theworkplacedoodler on her Instagram story. It simply said “What was he doing with issues that weren’t ‘exactly’ trending?” and a list of hashtags followed. # AdivasiLivesMatter #MigrantLivesMatter #DalitLivesMatter and the list goes on. Although the cruelty and discrimination shown to George Floyd, and the significance of this present situation cannot be negated, many other ethnic and social groups have also been hurt, brutalized, discriminated, and subjugated for centuries. Many who are closer to home have undergone violence and discrimination too, and we have never once voiced out our anger against such injustices which are sometimes closer to home.
“Although the cruelty and discrimination shown to George Floyd, and the significance of this present situation cannot be negated, many other ethnic and social groups have also been hurt, brutalized, discriminated, and subjugated for centuries. Many who are closer to home have undergone violence and discrimination too…”
The Bible says “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.” While we can never change the outcome of every situation, our voices must be raised as one for those who cannot speak up. I wonder if the bystanders could have done more for George Floyd than just film a video? I remember some time ago a Pulitzer prize-winning photograph of a vulture waiting for a child to die of malnutrition in Sudan shot by Kevin Carter. It was reported that someone asked Kevin what happened to the child in the picture, Kevin replied that he was in a hurry to catch a flight and so he had no idea. The person went on to say “Well there are two vultures in this picture, one of them is right here.” Kevin was so affected by this statement that he took his own life some months later.
“While we can never change the outcome of every situation, our voices must be raised as one for those who cannot speak up. I wonder if the bystanders could have done more for George Floyd than just film a video?”
Perhaps nothing much can be done about George Floyd except avoid these acts of injustice in the future. But we can do much more for those we know. Can we choose to put aside the societal barriers that we sometimes unconsciously built, across language, caste, religion, education, economic and social boundaries? And speak up for what truly matters, speak up because #Livesmatter!
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute”
(The Bible)
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