Where is our humanity? Where, people?! BLACK LIVES MATTER.
One year ago, I sat in Times Square to fight for justice alongside my fellow New Yorkers after Eric Garner was choked to death on Staten Island, Mike Brown was gunned down in Ferguson, Tamir Rice was shot dead in Cleveland, Trayvon Martin was killed in Florida. I – yes, a young white woman who will never know what it is like to be systematically targeted as a black male or female – took to the streets to protest night after night for countless more names that neither you nor I will ever hear.
Tonight, as I watch the video of 16 shots hitting Laquan McDonald's lifeless 17-year-old body, I am disgusted, outraged, frightened, brought to tears. Nothing has changed. Children and adults are unjustifiably executed in the streets because of the color of their skin – and far too often, no person or institution is held accountable.
This has a name: racism. And it's an incalculable, colossal crisis that is wreaking fatal havoc and claiming innocent lives in my country right now.
Citizen activists, we must be ready to work. To lay it on the line. To take a clear stand. To refuse to remain apathetic. To be incited to act concretely. To speak up and speak out. To understand the grave realities of racial inequality. To honor human dignity. To realize that our very freedom depends on it. #BlackLivesMatter
