I feel at peace.
I
have never been so happy, so calm, and so reflective. I have truly been having
the time of my life in Denmark. But I also feel helpless.
I feel frustrated. I feel saddened.
I feel disgusted.
I
arrived in Denmark about a week after Mike Brown was killed and watched the
riots in the safety of my Danish host family’s home.
I had hoped that circumstances would be
better by the time I returned, but who was I kidding? The problem is deeper
than Ferguson. It’s deeper than Mike Brown, deeper than Darren Wilson.
Years of systematic and institutionalized
racism have come to a head.
Attending a
Historically Black institution is an experience, but attending one during a
time like this is priceless.
I am upset
that I am missing the protests in front of the CNN center, the marches, the
discussions.
However, it is also very
powerful watching what is going on from another country. The attention that
Ferguson and the Eric Garner case have gotten worldwide is amazing.
People cannot believe that something like
this is happening in the Untied States of America, the land of the “free.”
With my time in Denmark coming to an end, the feeling is
bittersweet. For the first time in my life
I have lived in a place where my race was not a huge factor, and must now
return home where racial tensions are higher than they have been since the 60s.
The disrespect and discrimination is so
blatant at this point, that I am afraid my words will fall on deaf ears, and my
actions won’t make any difference. But
no matter what, I will fight.
#BlackLivesMatter
WE Can’t Breathe.
