Jun 4, 2020
We won’t let this moment be a trend
Dear ZORA Family,
Earlier this week I was talking to my dad, who grew up in the Jim Crow south of the 1950s and ’60s, and he commented about the protests over the murder of George Floyd and other innocent Blacks. He told me that somehow this wide swath of voices railing against anti-Black racism was different from when he lived in Alabama during the Civil Rights movement. He was heartened to see so many people of different races, ethnicities and walks of life coming together in solidarity for this common cause. In fact, he said he’d never seen anything like it in his lifetime.
Many of you have expressed the same awe at what we are witnessing. Could it be possible that America is sick and tired of being sick and tired? Have we reached a tipping point? And once the protests subside, will there be legislative action and police reform to alleviate the systemically racist policies and institutions that created this racial pandemic in the first place?
Certainly none of us know what the future holds in this moment, but the onus is on us to keep pushing, prodding and passionately advocating for solutions that make sense. Otherwise, what are we fighting for?
We’re keeping our eye on events as they unfold, and sharing stories that express your particular points of view, including those that question what allyship can and should look like in these times. If there is any more that we could be doing to help you cope with the current situation, we’d love to hear from you. Stay strong, stay safe, and stay in touch.
Vanessa K. De Luca, Editor-in-Chief
