George Floyd
Good morning.
I’m going to keep things brief this week and return to a standard newsletter next week.
On May 25th, 2020, George Floyd was murdered by police officer Derek Chauvin. George Floyd’s murder has been the most recently and widely publicized death of a black person at the hands of a police officer—but his is not the only one.
And the lack of remorse or acknowledgement by so many police officers, and the lack of any visible desire to change or to take action by so many of our institutions or leaders, is demoralizing.
My life is one giant privilege. I know that all too well. There are people who have lived their lives in constant fear, who have never been given the chance to feel safe in their own skin, their own sexuality, their own identity. I’ve never been faced with any of that. I’ve never had to feel fear, to live with it, to have it press around me, to have it suffocate me.
So I’m reading, I’m observing, I’m listening, and I’m donating, I’m finding ways to give my time. I’m learning to identify and interrogate my own overlooked biases and prejudices.
There are plenty of places to donate, and I’m sure many of you have already given money or time to plenty of organizations or causes. If you haven’t yet or are looking for more ways to contribute, here are some of the places where I’ve donated so far:
The Official George Floyd Memorial Fund
Multiple Organizations That Are Fighting Against Racism and Police Brutality
I’ve also found my local representatives, looked up who is accepting money from police, and asked them to put that money to use elsewhere. For the representatives who are not accepting police money, I’ve asked them to use their position to put a stop to police violence and racism.
These are the small things I have done so far. I will begin each day and each week looking to do more.
That’s it from me. Please stay safe, be kind, be persistent, and let’s do whatever we can to end police violence and racism.