We are now in June in a year that has felt like a century. Most states have opened up again and businesses have had to adjust to the new rules of operation. There is a dichotomy between happiness for recovering some freedom, but fear because we don’t want to get sick and see numbers spike up again.  
The country has also been shook to its core by a systemic issue we have always known about, but have never really dealt with. Being in isolation from the world and human contact has brought a sensitivity never seen before. I truly believe that in conjunction with the readiness of the internet this is the reason why so many people erupted into action after seeing George Floyd's murder. I mean, how could you not be anything but outraged! You cannot erase anything from your mind once you watch that video.(and what's worse is the many other cases we simply don't know about because we did not see them, or they were not recorded).
On a personal level being from a bi-racial background which also includes black roots (hence my dark skin and curly hair) I had to endure the many nicknames and teasing for precisely that, the color of my skin and texture of my hair. I vividly recall hating chocolate bars, because I used to be compared to them. I guess, somehow I erased it all from my memory and simply told myself  it was "normal" and I shouldn't have made such a big deal about it. These are the kinds of things one tells oneself to bury the emotions and get up the next morning to face those same people in the classroom.
Back in my day however, there was no social media, so If I had a bad day at school I would get home and I was able to unplug and feel safe. I do not pretend my personal experience to even compare to the grief, injustice and fear that has been felt by the black community in our country, but this video of a man being murdered in plain sight, crying out for his mother simply broke me. It stirred so many buried emotions in me that I thought I had "buried". Having a Colombian heritage made me see just how much racism is present in my other home, we have an entire state just for our Afro community that we forgot about. This pandemic has definitely shrank the map for all of us,and any issue, especially one as important as racism, will have a ripple effect in all of us. 
Racism and slavery go back in history for centuries, and still it feels like we have not moved forward in addressing this issue at all. I am angry, I am tired of the same, and I mourn with the community of color because enough is enough. Change can only come from action, and so I encourage you to act in whichever way you can to end this sickness. It starts at home, in our schools, in our neighborhoods, and in the people we elect to represent us. Now more than ever it is so important you go out and vote. Vote for the people who represent your interests in the community you inhabit, and who will be your voice for these issues that need to be addressed. 

I hope my words have not offended anyone, I speak solely from my heart and from my own personal experience. 

I wish you continue to stay safe, and grateful for being able to continue breathing. 

Sincerely and respectfully,

Jennifer

We are now in June in a year that has felt like a century. Most states have opened up again and businesses have had to adjust to the new rules of operation. There is a dichotomy between happiness for recovering some freedom, but fear because we don’t want to get sick and see numbers spike up again.  
The country has also been shook to its core by a systemic issue we have always known about, but have never really dealt with. Being in isolation from the world and human contact has brought a sensitivity never seen before. I truly believe that in conjunction with the readiness of the internet this is the reason why so many people erupted into action after seeing George Floyd's murder. I mean, how could you not be anything but outraged! You cannot erase anything from your mind once you watch that video.(and what's worse is the many other cases we simply don't know about because we did not see them, or they were not recorded).
On a personal level being from a bi-racial background which also includes black roots (hence my dark skin and curly hair) I had to endure the many nicknames and teasing for precisely that, the color of my skin and texture of my hair. I vividly recall hating chocolate bars, because I used to be compared to them. I guess, somehow I erased it all from my memory and simply told myself  it was "normal" and I shouldn't have made such a big deal about it. These are the kinds of things one tells oneself to bury the emotions and get up the next morning to face those same people in the classroom.
Back in my day however, there was no social media, so If I had a bad day at school I would get home and I was able to unplug and feel safe. I do not pretend my personal experience to even compare to the grief, injustice and fear that has been felt by the black community in our country, but this video of a man being murdered in plain sight, crying out for his mother simply broke me. It stirred so many buried emotions in me that I thought I had "buried". Having a Colombian heritage made me see just how much racism is present in my other home, we have an entire state just for our Afro community that we forgot about. This pandemic has definitely shrank the map for all of us,and any issue, especially one as important as racism, will have a ripple effect in all of us. 
Racism and slavery go back in history for centuries, and still it feels like we have not moved forward in addressing this issue at all. I am angry, I am tired of the same, and I mourn with the community of color because enough is enough. Change can only come from action, and so I encourage you to act in whichever way you can to end this sickness. It starts at home, in our schools, in our neighborhoods, and in the people we elect to represent us. Now more than ever it is so important you go out and vote. Vote for the people who represent your interests in the community you inhabit, and who will be your voice for these issues that need to be addressed. 

I hope my words have not offended anyone, I speak solely from my heart and from my own personal experience. 

I wish you continue to stay safe, and grateful for being able to continue breathing. 

Sincerely and respectfully,

Jennifer