The next steps

This is a quicker post as I am on a busier rotation these next few weeks. 

When I write in this public facing manner, I often think about the following question: do my thoughts add anything to the conversation? Have they been better said by somebody else? 

I was thinking about the increased awareness towards anti-racism and the lived experience of Black Americans; and a way to effectively channel these protests into lasting and effective change that will benefit all Americans. 

I then saw that former president Barack Obama recently published a piece on Medium detailing those exact thoughts. I encourage everyone to check it out, the link can be found here.

So instead of going long on this, I will only add a few more thoughts to that excellent piece. 

• I do wonder if we are in need of a national leader / figure to help shepherd us into a lasting change. I have stated this before but I think this is true regardless of political viewpoint - our current president is clearly not serving that role as a someone who seeks unity of people, or a calming voice through troubled times. I think former President Obama is struggling with the desire to play a more activist role, which is in conflict with the longstanding presidential standard of not being perceived as having overt interference in the affairs of subsequent presidents. I do believe that if he were never president, we would be seeing a way more public and active role from him. This is likely ignorance on my part but I am not aware of a current prominent Black Lives Matter (or like minded group) leader analogous to Deray Mckeeson and his role during the Ferguson protests. I do think a prominent leader/figure that could help unify the national protests and help channel this energy into lasting change would be ideal.
• What would this lasting change look like? Again, read former Pres. Obama's piece above. My only other thoughts are that perhaps anti-racist training and education should be a part of educational process at each level - something mandated that would reach all Americans no matter what. One benefit of this movement is that I think many people are becoming more aware of the lived experience of Black people. However, I do fear that much of the awareness and knowledge gained thus far is not reaching those that need to hear it the most. We need to search for a path for this information to transcend social media and political bubbles. In many ways, it has done that, and we need to find a way to make that effect lasting in nature. 
• I do fear a further retreat into tribalism as a further barrier towards lasting change, as above. I am heartened by the attention given to this issue on social media, but I do fear that it can trend towards "I am the anti-racist, and you are not," or "I am enlightened on this issue and you the reader are not." This has given me pause at times, as I have previously stated, I don't think any one person is exempt from the work of anti-Racism. Even as a Black medical professional, I have almost certainly played into actions that have helped perpetuate health disparities amongst Black folk, and other groups, and I still need to continue to examine my actions attitudes and beliefs on a daily basis, from a professional and personal standpoint. Even as a Black male that has been the subject of racist acts, I have been learning more about Anti-Racism, and exploring articles, resources, and thinkers that I have not been exposed to before. By offering up myself as an example, I hope to show that no one is above the work, regardless of background, and everyone should be encouraged to self-reflect and see what they need to do. I do fear that diminishing this fight into "racists" vs "non-racists" will ultimately squander the potential of this momentous time, as it will represent a retreat into tribalism and separation. I think considering it more of a national and collective effort for which we are all responsible, and for which we are all starting off at different points, would possibly help lead to a more permanent movement. 

This might be too accommodating or conciliatory to some - but these are my thoughts as we continue to work through these unprecedented times. I believe that we have it in us to channel this moment into a lasting change. I end this post with the concluding thoughts from Pres. Obama's medium piece (third time is the charm - read it if you haven't already!)

"I recognize that these past few months have been hard and dispiriting — that the fear, sorrow, uncertainty, and hardship of a pandemic have been compounded by tragic reminders that prejudice and inequality still shape so much of American life. But watching the heightened activism of young people in recent weeks, of every race and every station, makes me hopeful. If, going forward, we can channel our justifiable anger into peaceful, sustained, and effective action, then this moment can be a real turning point in our nation’s long journey to live up to our highest ideals.

Let’s get to work."