“America is not another word for Opportunity to all her sons.” ― 𝗪.𝐄.𝐁. 𝐃𝐮 𝐁𝐨𝐢𝐬, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘍𝘰𝘭𝘬
“A feeling of inferiority? No, a feeling of not existing.” ― 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐳 𝐅𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧, 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘚𝘬𝘪𝘯, 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘴
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Imagine being a black American that cannot trust a system that claimed it would protect them and promised them equal freedom.
The ability to imagine and unimagine this instead of being forced to live this reality is a privilege.
These are two seminal works from 1903 and 1952. They provide deeper perspectives on the human psyche through a critical race lens. They’re about blackness, language, culture, colonialism, dehumanization, internalized oppression, and the psychological implications voiced by two influential black authors (they are so much more than just authors).
This is not a new fight. We are desensitized to the fear, rage, grief, and fatigue being communicated by the black community.
I am not above this, as I continue to learn about anti-blackness in the South Asian community as well as my own biases and microaggressions. I am here to learn and to use my privilege to act for social justice. It’s on me to do that work, by listening, reading, researching, changing, and supporting minorities in the justice system.
