BLACK LIVES MATTER

A country is the reflection of its leaders (at least whoever has the power to let that happen). Before I moved to the US in 2014, I never had to fear for my son’s life whenever he would walk out the door. Moving to this country, we never expected that gun violence and racism would be so “real” but it didn’t take long for us to find out with the local and national news.

Theo was 12 years old when we left Paris and he is now an 18 years old teenager with the social life and independence that comes with it.

I fear for his life every day and can only pray that God will protect him.

I was born in Madagascar and at 7 years old, I moved to Paris where racism is a major issue: to find a job, get a loan, rent a place, among other things, BUT NEVER until I moved here, did I fear for our safety and life because of our skin color.

Like I said, I was born in Madagascar, an African country and former French colony with what it implies in terms of the stigma of the colonization. I grew up, studied, lived, and worked in Paris almost my entire life. I traveled through Europe and other parts of the world, major cities but I never feared for my safety anywhere before.

With the escalating racial events in the US and the recent tragedies in the black community, I can’t help but think of the APARTHEID, and similar white supremacy and unacceptable behavior in other parts of the globe, and not so long ago in African countries. We still live in an era where black lives don’t matter, that a white person can attempt to take our life in broad daylight and hold the belief that they can get away with murder.

You can drive around with your son, see a black man jogging and think “hey why don’t we go on a black hunt & kill, then go home to eat popcorn and watch the game” like no worry in the world. And they have the nerve to call Africans or Arabian people savages!

But I have hope there are good people in this country, the collective consciousness has significantly shifted, especially after the coronavirus. This country has come a long way with leaders from each side, working hand in hand to shift the paradigm, individuals pushing the boundaries of exclusion and status quo. I want to believe that love and compassion will always prevail as it is what makes us human and that the present and future hold new leaders, activists, and advocates and we will rise together, more united and stronger as a collective, as one nation.

Addendum (Instagram post June 4th, 2020)

*Source : BuzzleDotCom / http://images.pcmac.org/

Photo credit: David Peterson (Twitter: @Australiaunwra6, Facebook: @ausunwrapped)