Waking up this morning, I am reflecting on the events of yesterday. Despite the immediate feeling of relief upon hearing the news, a large part of me this morning is angry.
Angry at a system where so many people have died at the hands police and have not received justice.
Angry that a case that was so cut and dry had us all sitting on pins and needles because we didn’t know if a police officer would be held accountable for his actions.
Angry that today we are learning of another Black teenager killed at the hands of police, this time in Columbus, OH.
Three guilty verdicts cannot undo decades of white supremacy. Three guilty verdicts cannot fix a broken police system. Three guilty verdicts alone cannot be justice for a systemic problem.
It’s okay to feel relieved, exhausted, or angry. We have so much work to do. We proved yesterday that there can be consequences for police actions. Now, we need to focus on preventing the actions themselves.
I hope one day I can live in a world where I don’t have to fear my partner being killed at the hands of police just for being Black in America.
