Beyond the News Cycle: Stay Woke. Be Committed.

Over the past few days, as I have been thinking about my response and Applied Development's responsibility in the current crisis, the one constant in my mind is how fleeting this will seem in the weeks and months to come. We have such a short attention span in this country. 

It was a little more than 5 years ago when rage ignited in Baltimore because of the tragedy surrounding the death of Freddie Gray. I remember it so well. I had so many difficult, complex conversations with my then 12 year-old black son. This was not a new conversation in my home. My son, like most other young black children (especially boys), had already been instructed on how to deal with the police if ever stopped. He was stripped of every beanie and hoodie that ever came into my home. There were countless conversations around why his white peers could wear them and he was not allowed. You want to talk about white privilege? A great example is having the freedom to allow your tweens and teens to express themselves however they want during their formative years. Black children don't have that luxury in most communities, especially urban ones. Protecting our young black tweens and teens from the perils that exist beyond the borders of our homes is common for black families. Who knows what trauma we've created in our own children simply by trying to keep them alive. 

Unfortunately, not much will change today, next week, next month, or even next year. History tells that story. I am not a pessimist. I actually have a great deal of hope. However, recovering from hundreds of years of oppression, institutionalized racism, inherent bias, and plain old ignorance requires long-term solutions that reach across industry, borders, and communities to unite us over the years and decades to come. 

I sincerely hope the fervor we are experiencing as a nation, at this point in our history, extends beyond the upcoming days and weeks. Where will your focus be in 3-6 months when the fervor of recent events has subsided, when there are no more protests, riots, new stories, and campaigns on the issue capturing our attention? Will you be as concerned then? Will your commitments today on this issue still be top of mind and a priority? I sure hope so. For me and mine, it's not a choice. We don't get to move on or forget when our mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends are being slaughtered in the streets. I urge you to "stay woke" and be committed in the months, years, and decades to come. 

With that I ask you, what's your long-term commitment to this crucial issue? How do you intend to help create lasting change?