I watched the #KidLit4BlackLives rally, hosted by The Brown Bookshelf live on Facebook. I am so so grateful to the many authors and creators who spoke. They are all phenomenal communicators and courageous ambassadors. The event was recorded and I highly recommend you watch it. Just search @thebrownbookshelf. Be warned: you will need a forklift to put your jaw back in place because these writers were mic-droppin every 2-3 minutes!
More importantly, they helped clarify the role that I, and honestly everyone, can and must adopt in this movement. I have done my utmost to encapsulate what I hope will be the next steps for more and more and more human beings.
Tap Tap and Then…
Tap tap the scenic trail picwith its epic crusher caption that makes your biceps involuntarily bulgegive it the little heart or thumbs-up it so deservesand then…Tap tap that science post for feeding your brain neural nutrientsand then…Tap tap the latest Black Lives Matter postthe protest signthe knees off neck sloganthe calls to unite, unite, uniteand then…fill out the censusfind people who haven’t filled it out and help them get it done.
Tap tap and then make a donation to an activist organizationTap tap and then volunteer wherever they fight for equalityWhere are those places? You’ll know them when you see them becausethey support minority-owned businessesthey work to fill educational gapsthey confront gender and racial biasesWho are “they”? You’ll see when you walk through the door that they are your neighbors and community members and they are glad you finally showed up
Tap tap and then contact your SenatorsTell them you demand justice and your vote belongs to the person who will defend your demandsTap tap and then repeat this process with your House Repsstate repsgovernormayorTap tap and then if you’re young, find out how you can help work polling stations so the Covid-vulnerable don’t have toTap tap and then make a signput it in your yardTap tap and then make another signtake it to a rallyLet your voice contribute to a huff-and-puff that can blow this white White House down
Tap tap and then don’t come to social media to feel better about the worldor simply seek comfort from pretty picturesand goofy gifsand pithy memesand punchy hash tagsDon’t come to social media to hide in your usual cozy bubbleCome to social media to see and hear hear hear new, unfamiliar perspectivesConsider every blackout box a window thrown opena hole in the walla passage in the back of a wardrobea bottomless wella chance to go where you have never daredan opportunity to finally finally finally realize what you’ve got and who you oweTap tap and dare to discover—our species thrives on curiosity
Tap tap and then know that I know you’re unsureyou’re skepticalyou’re also busyyou’re not the typeyou’re lacking the needed skillsyou’re telling yourself all this and morebecause you’re no one specialyou have no powerno influenceWhat difference could you possibly make?Tap tap and then know that I know how you feelthat I felt that way once, toobut if I can canvass Confederate flag neighborhoods for Obama in ’08 and again in ’12, thenyou can do this.
If I can help inmates at the county jailrelax, smile, feel confident about takingthe GED tests that will fundamentally shift the trajectory of their future, thenyou can do this.
If I can spend summers teaching Upward Bound studentsso that more low income, indigenous, non-white teenssucceed getting into and then thriving throughout college, thenyou can do this.
If I can work at a local nonprofitserving adults who need to complete their educationand/or gain English literacy skillsand/or study to pass the citizenship testso that they can fully participate in their communityand in their children’s education, thenyou can do this.
You can do this and you must.Tap tap and then do somethingbecause no one is secureif even one is violatedNo one is succeedingif even one is deniedNo one experiences real joyif even one suffersA balloon with even one holeloses all its air
Tap tap and then take action.
(Featured image by me. Taken in El Malpais National Monument.)
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