The Justice Our Ancestors Compel Us Toward...
Our souls communicate in images, Jung said. And right now, our country is galvanized by one image: the brutal murder of George Floyd. It is one image amidst a sea of images, one hate crime amidst an endless tally of white supremacist hatred. But this week it was one too many.
What is happening in the streets of America today is the story of how unhealed wounds find their way to the surface again and again, until they are finally brought to resolution. The pain in the streets today is an ancient pain. It is a crie de coeur, a cry from the heart of generations of ancestors who suffered similar fates to Mr. Floyd. It is the cellular memory of oppression flowing like a roaring river from their bodies into ours.
But the human psyche has its limits. It will not allow us to repress our traumas forever. In time, violent acts of inhumanity demand a reckoning. For the black community that time is overdue.
Today I am full of grief for the Floyd family, for the endless trauma history in every black community in the United States, for my own ignorance as a person who benefits from white privilege. I am also heartened — by the empathy and outcry of so many around the world, the profound desire to learn and change, and the powerful anti-racist organizing that is underway, all making it possible to hope that this will be a pivotal moment of healing and transformation.
"A riot is the language of the unheard," said Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his famous 1967 speech. And the only thing that guarantees the quelling of rage, he said, is action—the implementation of justice. No, not deploying the military. Not suppressing the outcry. Not turning the page until the next murder is caught on video, the next mass shooting. But real action.
While I'm not in the streets at this moment, here are some actions I'm engaging in today. Join me in one or two?
1. Self-Education: This is an amazing Op-Ed from the LA Times by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: "Don’t understand the protests? What you’re seeing is people pushed to the edge." And an indispensable essay, "On American Racism" by my friend Rabbi Mordechai Liebling. I am also engrossed in these books: White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo, Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People by Mahzarin R. Banaji and Anthony Greenwald, and My Grandmother's Hands by my friend and colleague, Resmaa Menakem. Also check out this great resource list of articles, films, and more from At The Well here. And, read this moving piece by Gideon Levy mourning the fatal shooting of Palestinian Eyad al-Halak, a 32 year old who was headed for the Elwyn El-Quds centre for people with special needs when he was shot to death by Israeli police.
2. Donate. Join me in donating directly to the Movement for Black Lives. National Bailout is an important Black-led and Black-centered collective of organizers, lawyers and activists who help people facing pre-trial detention and mass incarceration. I used ActBlue's secure donation link here to simultaneously send money to up to 39 (and counting) nationwide bail funds. And, did you know about Black Yids Matter, an effort to coordinate Black Jewish Shabbat dinners happening tonight! Donate here and specify that your donation is in honor of Black Jews.
3. Take a few minutes to truly FEEL what is going on within and around you.
To HEAL the world we must FEEL the world! Then please write, call, and contact the people who can help us make a difference. Click here for the most needed calls! And take five minutes to click here to send petitions to key decision makers. Because as Abraham Joshua Heschel said, “Indifference to evil is worse than evil itself."
This week and ongoing, we are interrupting business as usual to rise up collectively in defense of black lives. Thank you for joining me in taking action.
Shabbat shalom, wishing you blessings of health and stability amidst it all. Together, we rise, as this full moon in eclipse rises!
Look closely. This poster art is made of Hebrew letters. It reads: “Lo tirtzach," which means "Thou Shall Not Murder."
