Summary

The COVID-19 pandemic has primed society for a collective awakening to systemic racial injustice, exemplified by the global response to George Floyd's death.

Abstract

The article posits that the vulnerability induced by the COVID-19 pandemic has created a fertile ground for societal awakening to the systemic injustices faced by Black individuals, as evidenced by the widespread outrage and solidarity following George Floyd's death. It suggests that the pandemic's impact on public health, economic stability, and personal freedoms has worn down societal defenses, making people more receptive to confronting deep-seated issues like racism and inequality. The author expresses gratitude for the heightened awareness and the shift towards a collective demand for change, viewing this moment in history as a crucial opportunity for healing and transformation. The article emphasizes that the timing of Floyd's death, amidst a global crisis, has ensured that it will not be ignored, and it has reignited a sense of global activism, with a focus on addressing the pain and injustice that has persisted for too long.

Opinions

The author believes that the pandemic has made society more vulnerable and open to recognizing and addressing systemic racism.
George Floyd's death is seen as a catalyst for change, occurring at a time when society is particularly sensitive to issues of injustice.
The article suggests that the collective vulnerability has allowed people to connect with a shared pain and say "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH" to persecution and inequality.
There is a critique of past tendencies to overlook or normalize injustice, with the current moment being an opportunity to break from this pattern.
The author expresses that vulnerability is a source of strength and empowerment, leading to a rejection of rhetoric and false promises that perpetuate inequality.
The leadership in the country is criticized for its unapologetic bigotry, which contrasts with the emerging global activism for justice and equality.
The article conveys a sense of hope and optimism, suggesting that the pandemic has acted as a catalyst for positive change in societal consciousness.
The author thanks George Floyd for the awareness his death has brought, implying that his legacy will contribute to a better future for all.

The Pandemic Made Us Vulnerable So That George Floyd’s Death Was Not In Vain

The Gift of Being Vulnerable in Uncertain Times

Why Now? Why this Black Man?

Black people have been persecuted for millennia and now we are outraged?

Yes, we are because something has awoken in us that has us owning that BLACK LIVES DO MATTER.

Our planet is WAKING UP! What a great surprise to see protests and rallies and outcries on such a global level.

And again I still ask why now?

Here is what my awareness tells me, we have been broken down from the Covid-19 Pandemic. What do you mean, we’ve been broken down? Well having our health as a nation be threatened in such an out of our control sort of way has made us extremely vulnerable.

Sheltering in place, caring for loved ones who are sick, burying loved ones and saying goodbye without a proper funeral, wearing masks when shopping or out in public, having our businesses and economy suffer, and hearing about the ever-increasing cases of deaths daily has WORN US DOWN. And when you are worn down you are incredibly VULNERABLE!

George Floyd’s death was not in vain and it couldn’t have happened at a more auspicious time. I do not mean to sound callous when I say this. What I am saying is that George Floyd’s death happened at such a time in our history that it will not go unnoticed.

George gave us an incredible gift and for that, I thank him from the bottom of my heart. The senseless act of his death has awoken a nation from the numbness of persecution.

I believe that there is not one human being on this planet who has not been exposed to persecution whether directly perpetrated on them or witnessed. And the passing of George Floyd struck a chord deep down in our souls that finally said ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

This Pandemic made us incredibly vulnerable which allowed us to be present to a pain that runs deep in our veins. It’s time to address this pain instead of sweeping it under the rug and pretending we are “OK”.

We are not “OK”. It is NOT OK to treat other human beings with such utter disrespect. There is an entitlement between races, between classes, between cultures, and between genders that has to be SEEN in all of its ugliness if we are to heal as a race.

You have to WITNESS pain for it to heal. Something, I know I’ve been numb too. Something broke in me a long time ago that had me hideaway a pain that I did not have the maturity to handle when it happened. And I am sure that most of us can relate.

When can pain heal? When we are broken down and VULNERABLE and able to see past our conditioning. Conditioning that has us sucking it up and moving forward with all our wounds as if somehow the pain didn’t happen.

Injustice, immorality, racism, and elitism has been happening for millennia. And now we have a leadership in this country that is so unapologetic about its bigotry that it seems surreal. Yet we still watch in horror versus empowerment to the actions perpetrated on our fellow humans by antiquated politics and systems that are broken.

But now, YES NOW, we are WAKING UP! And the timing could not be more perfect. Thank You Temporarily Acting President for the massive disorder you have so publicly displayed.

With vulnerability comes power so deep that says YOU CAN’T HURT ME ANYMORE. You can no longer romance me with your rhetoric and your false promises to keep me safe.

I am the one who is safe and has always been safe when I tap into my VULNERABILITY. Thank you Pandemic for busting something open in me that feels strange and wonderful at the same time.

I have spent a lot of my life swallowing a status quo because of that voice in my head that said that’s the way things are and you better suck it up. A voice in my head that says you are not powerful. How could a little old you be the change in the world that is required right now? How dare you believe you are worthy of better?

Well, my friends, Vulnerability is our SUPERPOWER and it’s HERE thanks to a Pandemic that’s opening us up. Opening us up so that we can no longer swallow injustice as if that is the normal order of the day.

The Ice is Melting and with it comes a flood of HOPE. A hope that I honestly thought was lost. We are not lost! We are here at the perfect place and the perfect time to awaken the sleeping giant of our consciousness.

A Consciousness that includes a right for every human being to draw a breath without permission. A life and living that no longer has us looking over our shoulder for fear of what’s next. A world of systems and organizations that know that the building of community is the strength that unites us all.

A world George Floyd, I know you would be proud to live in.

Please know your death was not in vain. We heard your pain and NOW We Are WAKING UP!