Where We Go From Here...#Ferguson

My tears have been flowing since last night. Every time I think about it, my eyes well up and the hot tears of anger, sadness, and frustration start to roll down my face.

I’m not white. I’m not black. I’m Asian. I’m American. I’m a human being.

If we stay silent, we will die. We must speak up. We must talk to our children. We must move. We cannot stay in place. We cannot just walk away from this with hopes that it will just blow over.

Here are some articles that will help us to stand up and speak up:

1. Talk to your kids about Ferguson. They are not too young to understand that we may look different on the outside, but underneath we are all human beings. They are not too young to understand why the adults in their lives are outraged, angry, disappointed, and saddened. They are not too young to understand that racism is wrong. Find out more about #FergusonSyllabus on Twitter and from the resources in this article from the Atlantic.

2. Educating yourself is important. “I’ve heard it said that education is the key. But, education of whom? The black boys can be as educated as imaginable, but if they continue to be seen as black only, regardless of education, what sense does that make? If the person judging them, sizing them up, determining them worthy of being the next unfortunate headline death isn’t the one who needs to be educated, where does that leave us? Where does that leave the black MAN?

WE HAVE GOT TO DO SOMETHING ELSE.”

3. We cannot stay silent. The words we say and write help us to walk a mile in one another’s shoes. Speak up.

4. Learn more about what happened in Ferguson and in the grand jury. Think for yourself and really understand what happened.

5. Show up, stand up, speak up. There are several peaceful protests and gatherings happening. Go find one and join others. Let your actions speak. (If you are in Boston, there is one at the Boston Police Headquarters tonight – 11/25/14 – at 7:00 pm.)