I have felt very discouraged by some of the statements I've seen circling since we entered this critical moment in time. Some of them have chosen to take a stronger stand against the violence associated with current protests, than they have against the years of systemic violence targeted at black and brown bodies that have led us to this point. It is essential that everyone understand that it is not necessary to "like" all that is happening right now in order to try and understand why it's taking place. We live in a country that has been attempting to dictate how non-white people express their outrage for years. Consider the response when Colin Kaepernick chose to quietly kneel at the start of football games.

In reality, it is not the job of any white person to tell black people how to feel, protest, or mourn. The violence that is occurring right now is complicated. Some of it - once again - is being initiated by the police themselves. And, we are living with a President who himself violently declared, "When the looting starts, the shooting starts." Some of the violence also appears to be happening at the hands of white nationalists who hope to see protesters blamed, or on over exuberant white "allies" who have forgotten that their job is to listen and support and not center themselves. Meanwhile, when black people are the ones instigating property damage, it is important to bear in mind that their actions have meaning, especially when considered within the context of a nation that has so repeatedly used and failed them. Trevor Noah speaks to this well in a 15 minute piece viewable HERE. Most importantly, as so many have said, buildings can be rebuilt in a way that lives lost cannot.

However, there is also the deeper issue of who even gets to define what qualifies as "violence." In 2015, following the murder of Freddie Gray, I wrote an article called, "Baltimore is Burning: Who Defines 'Violence'?" If I had written this piece today, I would have written it differently. I would have named not only the black men and boys, but also the black people of all genders who are being brutalized. I also would have been more cautious than I was at the time about comparing psychiatric oppression and racism. And, yet I share it HERE because five years later, there is much that remains relevant about this issue of who gets to decide what "violent" even means.

We live in a society where those in power are usually white, and have the privilege to design and maintain our systems through their own lens. All too often, this means painting their actions a "good" and "acceptable" while demonizing anything that runs counter to their interests. As a white person myself who holds power at the Western Mass RLC, this is something I need to think about every single day. And more than just think about it, it is my absolute responsibility to welcome challenges from others who see the things that I may be missing, to apologize for my own missteps, invest time in my own learning, and to use my own privilege in this regard to push on other white people to do the same.

And so I want to use this opportunity to ask all white people - and especially those in leadership roles - to consider their responsibilities at his time. I ask you to remember that protest violence is not the story. Police violence and so many years upon years of systemic racism are. Use your platforms to name that, and to call for real, concrete changes. Check out Ben & Jerry's statement for an example of what that can look like. But, most of all, listen to and support the black people around you. It is far past time that they be heard.

Sera Davidow
Director, Western Mass RLC

News & Perspectives on Racism and the Protests from Black Voices: