Know Her Name - Darnella Frazier

By: Stacie Graham, Global Racial Equity Programme Director, and Judy Jackson, Global Head of Culture and Engagement, WPP

 If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a closed room with a mosquito

~ African Proverb 

Bearing Witness 

Depending on where you are in the world, you may or may not have heard the name Darnella Frazier. Irrespective of your location, you have likely seen or heard the impact of her one small act. Darnella Frazier, who was just 17 years old on May 25th 2020, was taking her 9-year-old cousin to a small grocery store to buy snacks when she saw George Floyd being suffocated. She acted instinctively and took a video that quickly went viral. 

 Only a few days after the video went viral, Darnella Frazier received harassing messages and comments that she should have done more; she should have fought. She responded, “The police most definitely would’ve swept it under the rug with a cover up story. Instead of bashing me, THANK ME! Because that could’ve been one of your loved ones and you would want to see the truth as well”.  

We wholeheartedly thank you, Darnella. 

Against the backdrop of increasing media coverage of Breonna Taylor’s killing by police, Ahmaud Arbery being targeted and killed by white neighbors as he went jogging, as well as the extreme restrictions of freedom of movement due to a global public health crisis and subsequent global economic crisis, the viral video of George Floyd’s agonizing final moments led the people of Minneapolis to say enough is enough. The rage and despair of that city reverberated around the country and around the world. People from L.A., S?o Paulo, London, Berlin, Paris, and beyond showed up in large numbers to denounce the devastating and insidious effects of racism – systemic, institutional, structural. We witnessed the largest civil rights protests since those of the 1960s.  

Global corporations made bold pledges to support the Movement for Black Lives while condemning police killings. Millions of dollars were spent on marketing campaigns to underpin those statements of solidarity. Small and large organizations and charities, from Color of Change to Soul Fire Farm, were overwhelmed with donations. What came of it? 

According to data from Mapping Police Violence, Black people were 28% of those killed by police in 2020 despite being only 13% of the US population.

When one thinks about the magnitude of the reforms that would be necessary, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and, eventually, capitulate to the status quo. Defund the police, for example, a slogan that refers to the reallocation or redirecting of funding away from police departments to other government agencies funded by local municipalities such as mental health and childcare services, is considered divisive. The underlying reforms, however, have the potential to transform communities for the better.

Maybe there is another way. 

Bearing Fruit 

On the second day of the murder trial of ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, Darnella Frazier testified that “it’s been nights I’ve stayed up apologizing to George Floyd for not doing more. And not physically interacting and not saving his life […]”.  

After the trial ended, Darnella Frazier was hailed a hero and praised for making the guilty verdicts possible. A striking contrast to the harassment she initially endured for ‘not doing enough’.  

We each have a role to play. We don’t all have the same role to play.  

Protests and marches are one approach. Donating to nonprofit organizations with antiracist missions is another. And there is a myriad of other rich and dynamic ways to propel us into a future that is more equitable and just.  

Over the next few days our timelines and newsfeeds will be flooded with results of surveys and polls that illustrate differences of priorities and experiences along racial and ethnic lines. Jarring headlines to elicit anger and disappointment will be shared and reshared.

Consider limiting your exposure to protect your energy during this time of reflection. (We acknowledge the irony of writing such a recommendation in a post shared on social media). These are all distractions from a greater purpose. 

Instead of expending energy on the frustration and disappointment of what has yet to be done or the stress and anxiety surrounding how things will ever get done, we suggest turning inward and asking what role you want to play. What is taking place right in front of you, at work and in your local communities? Where are the opportunities to get involved? No matter how insignificant you think it may be, volunteering at a food bank, taking a mental health first aid training, or checking in on elders who may still be isolated all have impact that reaches beyond what you may believe to be possible. And don’t forget to check-in on your emotional health as well. 

We thank you, Darnella, for the courage you showed in taking a video that told us a story we may have otherwise never known. We can look to Ramsey Orta as an example of the high price that is sometimes paid for standing up to the police in this way.

We thank you for your perseverance. We thank you for your compassion. We thank you for being you. Your one small act of intervention helped many people awaken to the urgent need for change.  

Let each of us take up the mantle of changemaker through one small act at a time.