The Importance of Showing Support to Your Fellow Human

I’ve been going back and forth about what to say, and even whether or not I should make a post about this. But I think I’ve realized that I owe it to everyone as a fellow human being to try to piece together some words of encouragement. I’m never going to truly know what the black community is feeling or has been feeling in the past, and don’t quite know how to capture that struggle in words, but I do have a small platform where I can show empathy and support. I understand I don’t have much reach, but in the off chance I can help change the perspective of just one person to be more empathetic, I think it will be worth it. And I think that’s why it is important for everyone to share their support as well.

The black community has been suffering for decades because of ignorance and systemic racism. I think we can all manage a week or a month outside of our comfort zones to vocally show more support. I’ve been consuming a lot of content on social media this past week educating myself on ways I can help and learning some of the history of injustice against the black community. A lot of that content has been very jarring and uncomfortable, but that just serves a reminder to why we need this change and why these protests need to happen. Global change really only comes when you get a message out there and people start realizing that something is wrong. Even personal change really only happens when you step outside of your comfort zone, and force yourself to do something new. I view this as a unique opportunity for everyone to ask yourself: “how can I be a better human?” How can we support a community that has been neglected for far too long? 

There is a quote by President Obama from a town hall last year that I want to share, where he talks about strength and what it means to be a man: “If you are confident about your strength, you don’t need to show me by putting somebody else down. Show me how strong you are that you can lift somebody else up, and treat somebody else well, and be respectful and lead in that fashion.” Show your strength, lift your fellow human up and be supportive. Show empathy and love. There are many ways to show support and I’ve attached some helpful links I’ve seen circulating social media that I’ve found informative and gives a list of places to donate below. 

Also always remember to love yourself throughout the process too. It’s very easy to feel guilty about not doing enough, but don’t beat yourself up just keep pushing and show your support. Reminder, Black Lives Matter.

Helpful links:

https://blacklivesmatter.carrd.co/

bit.ly/ANTIRACISMRESOURCES

https://www.joincampaignzero.org/#campaign

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/1/d/1mTthE5lwqVnTCIm3iQtQXLyxwK-pc17cuCp–BhAYX8/htmlview?urp=gmail_link  (black owned restaurants in the Bay Area)

— Prabh