It goes without saying that the murders of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor was the result of pure hatred and racism for Black Lives. What is even more alarming is we did not know their names until White media reported on their stories– months after the killings took place. What is disturbing to me is that there are probably hundreds if not thousands of Ahmaud Arberys and Breonna Taylors in the world that we have no idea about because White media controls what we see and when we see it.

I’m grateful we know and are fighting for justice on behalf of these beautiful souls, demanding changes and shouting their names, but my heart breaks for my brothers and sisters whose names we will never know.

It’s important that we are not allowing media to control our stories, so supporting Black media outlets are vital. But it is even more important that we are showing up for ourselves and communities even when White media and White people are empathy fatigued. I’ve said it once here, but your protest should live in your work and everyday life. Dismantling this racist system is not a social media trend. For Black people, our protest is and should be a lifestyle as we continue to cultivate change for the generations after us.

So weeks, months from now when the social justice posts slow down, keep up the momentum in your daily life. What will you do to continue to the conversations, raise awareness and implement change in our communities?

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