At this point in time, it feels like it takes a lot of energy to just breathe. We might be—hopefully—stumbling out of an exhausting two-year pandemic, only to find the world in a tense situation. It’s a somber reminder that the fight for justice is not confined to the United States; it is a global battle in which we fight.
But Black History Month has shown us joy. We will soon have the first Black woman Supreme Court Justice in Ketanji Brown Jackson. Yesterday, Oakland held its fifth annual Black Joy Parade with a return to the pre-pandemic in-person format. Last week, Ahmaud Arbery’s killers were found guilty of hate crimes and kidnapping focused on their racist slurs, and the three former Minneapolis police officers that watched George Floyd be murdered were convicted of violating his civil rights.
Accountability is not justice, but it is a cornerstone of justice.
These ‘wins’ do not bring people back to life, but they do pave the way for the future we long for.
And that. That is something to see hope in, and embrace.
“What you pay attention to grows.”
-Deeprak Chopra