Work for change with same passion
The past days have been a frenzied ride of emotions and reactions.
From outrage at the sight of George Floyd’s death on the streets of Minneapolis under the oppressive knee of a white police officer sworn to protect and defend; to the awe I felt at the sight of hundreds of thousands of peaceful protesters who took to the streets of every major city in the U.S. and Europe, lifting their loud voices in unity against brutality and in solidarity with African American men and others who, for too long, have been victimized because of the color of their skin; then back again to anger at the realization of how centuries of oppression can erupt in violence and destruction, even in our beloved San Antonio; to the intense heartbreak of the 8 minutes and 46 seconds of silence shared in City Hall and throughout the city and country; then to the feelings of hope and optimism that history shows we should harbor as precious.
We will get through this, and that is where I have chosen to place my attention — on making sure the emphatic call for justice is heard, that we use this moment and movement to build a more equitable society, and that we do these things from a firm base that will withstand the turbulence of years to come.
Several things are at the foundation of the work to rebuild. One of them is to stand strongly and face the reality of who we are. We can’t do the work ahead if we keep telling ourselves the events of this week were an aberration, that they don’t reflect America. The truth is that what we saw in Minneapolis is exactly who we are, what America is. We can’t change it until we confront it. Our country was built on the oppression of people who were considered “other.” That debt has come around many times, in the violence of the Civil War, in protests of years past that have been as strong and adamant as today’s, of reckonings and movement in fits and starts toward the promise of a more perfect union.
With every turn of the tumult we come a little closer, and every turn is an inflection point. What are we to be and who are we to become when the dust settles?
We’ll need the energy and the passion that flowed through the streets in protest to become the fuel of change. We’ll need every one of us to pay attention as we step forward because we must get it right. We have to look closely at the other and see our common humanity; we have to stop, open our hearts and listen to the person behind the voice.
It’s only by seeing our common humanity and hearing our concerns that we will be able to work for justice — by doing the hard work of demilitarizing police, by using the city budget to prioritize the recruitment and training of a police force that not only looks like our community but reflects the values of respect and service and puts the community first. We need to work on accountability, and that will come as the City Council renegotiates the police contract in 2021.
To do this we must be steadfast, with clear vision and bold action.
That is the work to come — for now we must get through these turbulent days looking out for one another because this unrest will end, and when it does we will need each other.
Stay strong, stay safe.