The Silence is Deafening Ya'll

"The silence is deafening ya’ll", my friend wrote. She exited the WhatsApp group. No one commented after her departure. The group consists of those working in, with, interested in and/or aspiring to shape policy. ‘The present generation of policy makers and change-agents’ we are often told; a generation of hope, a generation given the tools to re-imagine and work towards creating and gestating more equitable societies. Yet, there was no outcry at the gross injustice experienced by black and brown people who are left to yet again, position and mobilize against anti-black rhetoric and intentionally designed political, legal and social frameworks in the United States and around the world. No one was checking-in with the collective, asking questions, mobilizing and offering solidarity. The silence was deafening.

In most cities in the U.S, masks are up, masks are down, fists are up, anger is fuel and deep sadness engulfs our realities. The realities of COVID-19 are placed in the rearview as people take to the streets. Black and brown people are dying either way. Disproportionately affected by COVID-19 due to pre-existing socio-economic factors designed to inhibit the wellbeing of communities of color, COVID-19 is affecting our communities in a myriad of ways. To navigate the health care system is like playing Russian Roulette wherein one hopes, the system decides to honor their right to good quality healthcare. On the streets, police brutality and force enabled by dominant white and patriarchal structures is resulting in our collective murder, in broad daylight. "The silence is deafening ya’ll".

Anti-black, anti-feminist, anti-gender rhetoric is not limited to the United States. There is a resounding echo throughout the world (particularly in Europe and Latin America). Prior to COVID-19, we had already began to see a more pronounced centering of right-wing/populist ideologies. These ideologies were already becoming more acceptable in mainstream society and enabling parts of society to shift to the right without appearing right-wing. With the advent of COVID-19, these ideologies were further exasperated. And here we are, bearing witness and experiencing in real time that the type of leadership one finds themselves under is literally the difference between life and death. The presence of COVID is merely intensifying any “preexisting stigma and inequalities that thrive in a capitalist conservative society towards marginalized groups”.  "The silence is deafening ya’ll".

Transnational solidarity, elevated consciousness building approaches are even more critical for resisting dominant patriarchal structures that have always failed communities of color and minority populations. The silence is deafening because it has ALWAYS been so. In our efforts to merely stay alive for ourselves and our communities – we cannot, and I repeat, cannot afford to not take a collective ‘lift’ approach -  mortar and brick, breaking the house to rebuild if we must, to re-shape these institutions for the betterment of ALL people. Transnational institution-building should continue to focus on consolidating and growing power, escalating our investments in building robust transnational programs and networks, brick-and-mortar spaces for support and solidarity that can be counted on at ALL times, not just in times of crisis’.

For communities of color, in our multiplicity in race, gender, sexuality, religious and spiritual affiliation, economic status, and in all the ways these intersect, we cannot pick and choose when we remember who and what we are. We have to remember that none of us are truly free unless ALL of us are free.  Otherwise, the silence will remain deafening.

In Love and In Solidarity!