Friday, 29 May 2020

History Doesn't Look the Same When You Are Living It: Racism, Police Brutality, and What to Do



HISTORY DOESN'T LOOK THE SAME WHEN YOU ARE LIVING IT. This is a line of poetry that's been floating around in my head for a long time and it comes to mind now after the death of George Floyd and (to a different extent) Regis Korchinski-Paquet have sparked sweeping worldwide attention and protest regarding racism, particularly anti-black racism, privilege, police brutality, and justice. 

History is often written by the winners, by people in power who at best are ignorant of the struggles of people with less opportunity, and at worst purposefully keeping others down to maintain power. The history we're told often glosses over the bloody, brutal, violent struggle that was often necessary to achieve the gains we have today, and this real history is exactly why you shouldn't be dismissing of the protests and riots in Minneapolis and other places.

For those of you who don't know, on Monday May 25th, a police officer killed a black man named George Floyd after kneeling on his neck for nearly nine minutes despite Floyd stating that he couldn't breath in Minneapolis in the USA. (And it's not true that if you can speak you can breathe, this link explains it quite well and it's information that I learned in my university physiology class) Floyd's crime was allegedly trying to pay at a store with a counterfeit $20 bill . This was captured on a widely shared video that has stirred outrage around the world, I personally have seen people posting about it who are based in Canada, the US and Australia, and a quick Google search also finds reporting from the BBC, the Irish Times, and more. 

A few days later in Toronto, Canada on May 27th, a Black-Indigenous woman named Regis Korchinski-Paquet died after falling to her death from a balcony on the 24th floor of an apartment building. The family states that police misconduct was involved and that Toronto police tried to pass it off as a suic*de, there is an ongoing investigation from the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) who on their own website say they investigate "police activity where someone has been seriously injured, alleges sexual assault or has died" which seems to indicate suic*de is not part of their purview.

Sometimes the only option left is to force others to pay attention to your cause. When you are fighting for your rights, and the lives of your people, and being ignored again and again, when you tried peace and were met with violence even though weeks earlier whytes who were protesting lockdown, armed, were not, sometimes you need to do something big like riot and force the world to pay attention to you and your cause.  What is happening in Minneapolis right now is just that, and this tactic does work. The Stonewall Riots catalyzed major wins for LGBTQ+ rights, Martin Luther King Jr. didn't just make a speech, he was jailed and organized protests and indeed in a letter from jail he wrote this powerful passage that rings true even today:

"I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen’s Council-er or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to “order” than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: “I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action”; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man’s freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a “more convenient season.”
(More of the letter available from The Washington Post)

If you're looking for further responses to "riots never solve anything" this is a great piece.

The deaths of George Floyd and Regis Korchinski-Paquet also occurred just a few months after Breonna Taylor, a black, 26-year-old paramedic was shot and killed by police in her own home in March of 2020 (Louisville, Kentucky, USA). The fact that black people are being murdered by police is alarming, the rate at which police are killing Black people is really alarming, and none of us can stand by and continue to allow this to happen. 

Policing in North America (Turtle Island) comes from the institution of "Slave Catchers" in the USA who chased slaves who ran away to "return them" and in Canada, it is largely based around controlling Indigenous peoples. This history means these institutions have deeply embedded deeply problematic policies, histories, and relationships with communities, particularly racialized communities. Now more than ever we really need to be looking at alternatives to policing. And they do exist: 

Rolling Stone put out 6 ideas in 2014, the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies in the UK also has several ideas, and an example that I found particularly compelling is the Bear Clan Patrol program in the Prairie provinces of Canada in which Indigenous peoples are providing security to their communities. 

And to those concerned about these protests occurring in the middle of a pandemic, yes it's true that is a concern, and all I can say to anyone who is or will be out protesting is: I understand. People will be wearing masks and do their best to practice physical distancing I'm sure, and when faced with one thing that's killing people and another sometimes you need to prioritize the fight for one. 

Some other important things that should be clear: 

  • Racism is real, it is embedded in our systems from a long history of race-based discrimination, oppression, marginalization. and white supremacy; everyone has racial biases & may say or do racist things (not just "bad people"). Further, there is a difference from being stereotyped, told something racially mean, inconvenienced, and racism.  
  • "Not seeing race" is not helpful in the present because race impacts how people move and exist in the world - it's not likely that a white man would have had a police officer kneel on his neck for nearly 9 minutes simply for having a bad bill, Black people are killed for going jogging in North America. Race must very much be seen to see the injustices enacted upon racialized bodies so we can work to stop them.
  • Saying "Black Lives Matter" does not imply that other lives do not, what it does is highlight, center and focus on Black Lives, just like the LGBTQ+ Rights Movement focuses on LGBTQ+ rights, without saying that no other rights matter or no one else has rights, or feminism focuses on women's rights and equality without saying women are better than men or that men's rights aren't valid.
My knowledge comes from approximately six years of education and advocacy on intersectional feminism that includes women's studies courses in University, employment in the sphere of social justice, and studying https://everydayfeminism.com/ a credible source that equity academics refer to. If you'd like any further clarification on the points I made above, please read up on the topics on Everyday Feminism.

So what can you do, right now, to be part of the solution?
  • Talk to your elected officials - call, tweet, email, there are plenty of templates and campaigns already out there about these specific issues and racism more broadly. There are a few tips on how to make this effective in this post I wrote in 2018.
  • Learn more about unlearning racism and anti-racism. In addition to Everyday Feminism, this extensive list of resources curated by Sarah Sophie Flicker, Alyssa Klein is a good place to look. 
  • Start conversations and make space, educate your circles about issues of racism and police brutality, legitimize the voices of marginalized peoples, and when marginalized folks are doing the labour of education, find ways to ensure reciprocity  
Solidarity is a powerful powerful thing, and together we can do better; we must. 

Wednesday, 22 April 2020

What the Art Shows Us: Teachings from Art for Earth Day's 50th with COVID-19


This might be the most honest thing I ever posted to the internet/social media. 

A few days ago, after attending a virtual art showcase I was madly writing at 1 am about art and Covid19 and the Earth, expecting it would become an Instagram post. Instagram's caption limit made it so I couldn't quite post everything I'd written and was forced to edit to shorten even though I'd wanted to post it raw, and to make up for it I decided to post my raw writing here with some additional reflections
-----


The truth is, I haven’t been writing very much poetry lately. I’ve been more prolific as an artist than ever before in my life, spending hours and hours on my novel daily, but the poetry doesn’t come and neither does the photography. I don’t remember the last time my camera roll went so long without new pictures. And that’s not by random chance.

It’s hard to find beauty in the day to day of the world, when the world doesn’t feel very beautiful right now. Even when you put aside the racism and xenophobia, and add in the beautiful care and generosity people are showing each other, you can’t get around the fact that so many people are dying and suffering in a way that can’t be ignored, and that’s not beautiful. (There’s a whole other conversation about selective empathy but that’s for another time.) So it feels out of place to look for beauty in the face of this reality and it certainly isn’t my place to try to find beauty and meaning in other people’s suffering.

At their heart, these art forms are how I process emotion. I write a lot of poetry about pain, and that is where Wuhan is More than the Coronavirus (Breaking out of the Outbreak) came from; here or there it is the same grief for me and through processing I was able to move past it. And after processing that, the poetry seemed to dry up because mostly, my poetry is about beauty, my appreciation for the beauty in the world. I transmit these feelings to ink and image to share with you how I feel, how I see things, to make a connection – there’s a reason that my brand is “See the way Maggie Cees” see the way I see, because that is what I do; and though, truly, I am grateful for so many things right now, for the time returned to me, for the art I can create, I also want to acknowledge that one of us are coming out of this unaffected. It shows in art in both the quietest and most telling ways.

But that’s okay. And I truly believe that. Because at the end of this, we will learn and have learned new ways to be, more at peace with who we are, our place, and the world. We must not return to normal, but fight to build better – to circular economy, donut economics, and refusing to let people and planet become externalities.

This is an #EarthDay / #EarthDayathome Post because we can use this disruption of the status quo, however painful it may be now, to dream, dream radically and build a world that is safe and sustainable for all.


This is a #Covid19 post, I haven’t shaed much on the topic, because I didn’t quite know, hadn’t quite found what I wanted to say that felt real and genuine and meaningful. But I’ve found it now, this is it. And as I am writing this at 1 am I would like to name a promise that has always been my goal: what I do, the content I put out is from the heart, real, honest and unapologetically me.

Some powerful addendums both from me and others in the comments, planned and unplanned: 


Seethewaymaggiecees:  wrote this at 1 am because the best writing happens at 1 am 😉 and I was very inspired by an art showcase I’d been a part of the night before. I was particularly influenced by what @littleneocreative said about the impacts of COVID19 on their art, and @annacyanstudio about how art captures powerful moments and emotion.
(It was really so powerful to see the way the colour had literally leached out of the art by @littleneocreative)

Seethewaymaggiecees: But let’s kick the realness up a notch. This is Instagram, even when you aim to “get real” here, there are still aspects that are curated. I didn’t just take a picture to share I took 8 and chose the one I liked best. I pair this content with a photo of me, to connect, because it’s coming from me, but I also know Instagram likes faces and showing my face is an excellent way to get likes, get my feed in front of new people. I spent all this time thinking up 30 relevant hashtags, again to reach more people. I am being real, but these are the aspects I am choosing that are also disingenuous and I want to acknowledge that too. In the end, I don’t have to be completely vulnerable with the internet, I get to value privacy and keep some things for me and people I am close with.  I’m being, choosing to be genuine imperfectly, imperfectly genuine.
       littleneocreative: @seethewaymaggiecees Oooh. See, that's 
       real. I love the comments that follow arguments. It seems like 
       some of the poet's job is to argue with herself until 
       she's satisfied with the truth of what she says. Or is that just 
       obvious? I don't know.
              Seethewaymaggiecees: @littleneocreative no I think 
              that's really insightful and true. Poetry and writing do help 
              me process, and I've used these tools many times to try to 
              reach conclusions to questions that felt right to me. To 
              continue with keeping the "real" "elevated", part of the 
              reason I wrote that was to make myself feel better about  
              feeling like I was being fake and trying to understand why 
              these were things that I was not willing to give up - it was 
              because I do value online privacy and I didn't want to 
              pour out my heart and have no one see it, because having 
              people see it and hopefully helping people was why I did 
              it in the first place. I also think a lot about the pressures to 
              be a perfect artist or activist and the harm that does 
              because that isn't accessible and that it's important to me 
              to create more space for imperfection. Maybe the biggest 
              reason I wrote that, though, was because I wanted to call 
              out Instagram a little in a subversive art-critiques-power 
              way haha.
---
I think the reason why it's so easy to work on my novel when other art is hard is because it's an escape - my characters can still touch each other, breathe together, be together. 

Interestingly enough, even before all this happened I explored the importance of touch in my work, in this novel, my characters live in a world where they can be killed if a being called a Soul Stealer touches them and that is subversive to life, in a poem I wrote called Skin Colour I call for looking at the appreciation of what skin does, how it is part of the sense of feeling to heal from insecurities about skin colour. Touch is so important to human beings - last night I dreamed about hugging my friends - and it really breaks my heart, that during this time of virus we are unable to comfort each other with touch - hugs, and hand holding, and even a supportive pat on the shoulder.

Until we can all come together again, I leave you with my words and the promise that I would love to give you a hug when this is all over.
---
And here is the original Instagram post for you to peruse: 





The truth is, I haven’t been writing very much poetry lately. I spend hours on my novel daily, but the poetry doesn’t come and neither does the photography. And that’s not by random chance. At their heart, these art forms are how I process emotion. Particularly my appreciation for the beauty in the world. I transmit these feelings to ink and image to share with you how I feel, how I see things, to make a connection – there’s a reason that my brand is “See the way Maggie Cees” see the way I see, because that is what I do. It’s hard to find beauty in the world, when the world doesn’t feel very beautiful right now. Even when you put aside the racism + xenophobia, and add in the beautiful care and generosity people are showing each other, you can’t get around the fact that so many people are dying and suffering right now, and that’s not beautiful. So it feels out of place to look for beauty in the face of this reality and it certainly isn’t my place to try to find beauty and meaning in other people’s suffering. And though, truly, I am grateful for the time returned to me, for the art I can create, I also want to acknowledge that none of us are coming out of this unaffected. It shows in art in both the quietest and most telling ways. But that’s okay. And I truly believe that. Because at the end of this, we will learn and have learned new ways to be, more at peace with who we are, our place, and the world. We must not return to normal, but fight to build better – to circular economy, donut economics, and refusing to let people and planet become externalities. This is an #EarthDay / #EarthDayathome post (50th anniversary tomorrow) because we can use this disruption of the status quo, however painful it may be now, to dream radically and build a world that is safe and sustainable for all. This is a #Covid19 post, I haven’t shared much on the topic, because I hadn’t quite found what I wanted to say. But this is it. And as I am writing this at 1 am I would like to name the promise that comes with my work: the content I put out is from the heart, real, honest and unapologetically me
A post shared by Maggie Chang (@seethewaymaggiecees) on

Thursday, 19 March 2020

COVID-19 Canada In One Place: Info, Updates, Resources, Community

We are all in this together.

Yes, we need to be practicing what experts currently call "social distancing", ie: avoiding social events, to flatten the curve of infection but that doesn't need to be the collapse of community and community support. Technically what we need is physical distancing (at least 2 m from folks outside of who you're living with) but in a virtual way, socially we need to be closer than ever. Indeed if you think about it, Canada and many parts of the world are in the midst of changing lifestyles in a show of remarkable solidarity and coordination to slow and stop the spread of COVID-19. 

I have compiled this list of updates, resources, and community opportunities in an effort to make a one-stop resource so it's easier for us all to get the info we need and help out our networks who might need updating. Topics covered: General info, from health to refusing work; responding to racism; financial help and relief; community: opportunities to stay engage and help out your neighbours; and finally marginalized groups who cannot be left behind as well as some resources if you or someone you know is in these positions. All info is from major news sources, the government, credible health authorities, representative organizations, and on the topic of finances, banks themselves. I will update this periodically when I am able and it's necessary; small disclaimer this is (Southern) Ontario focused as that is where I am based.

To start, this graphic is a great summary of what the general public should be doing right now:


General Info:

Please stay at home as much as possible to flatten the curve so we’re not all getting sick at once and overwhelming our healthcare system! This (viral) article from the Washington Post has great graphics and simulations illustrating how this works, a twitter preview is embedded below

How do I social distance? LA Public Health put out a useful graphic:


Prevention:
Please make sure to stick to credible sources for your info, big news sources, and governing bodies like the World Health Organization. Here's a link to prevention info from WHO.

Where do I get medical Advice?

https://rocketdoctor.io/ is a resource to ask questions about Covid-19 staffed by doctors, many helplines like Telehealth are absolutely swamped, so this could be a great alternative for medically sound advice.
Shoppers Drug Mart has also put together a coronavirus guide and there is an option for virtual care through a partnership with Maple.

It's also really important to be practicing self care  
Mental Health Management resource from WHO
Peak Resilience, a counseling practice in Vancouver also put out COVID-19 & Your Mental Health: A Comprehensive Resource Guide 

State of emergency in Ontario: 
On March 17th, 2020, a state of emergency was declared in Ontario by the Premier, this link summarizes what it means for you. Some other cities, provinces, and territories have followed suit.

Live Updates:

Available from many major news sources, here are links to The National Post, CTV News, and Global News. The CBC is also maintaining 24 hour free coverage through their apps for people inside and outside of Canada. 

Refusing work

You have the right to refuse work if you are afraid for your health and safety without fear of penalty from your employer. there are however specific protocols to follow for this:
Link to Ontario's Guidelines
Link to The Government of Canada's guidelines

How do I educate others as to why Racism, Xenophobia and Sinophobia (Anti-Chinese Sentiment) are not the right response?
Many groups of racialized folks who look like they may hail from countries associated with bigger outbreaks are experiencing increased aggression. I don't have all the answers but I wrote this piece about my thoughts and reflections as a Chinese-Canadian whose family is from Wuhan.

Finances and emergency relief:


There are numerous methods of financial help that have been rolled out in the past few days:

Canada's six biggest banks  BMO, CIBC National Bank, Scotiabank, RBC, and TD have announced financial relief measures for Canadians, and it is in effect now. Relief includes mortgage deferral and other credit relief. If this is relevant to you, call your bank to discuss your options.


EI (employment insurance) has been expanded, receiving more funding and covering more people. They've also made the process easier whether you've been laid off or need to claim sick EI. You can apply here: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-sickness.html


If you don't qualify for EI, there is an emergency support benefit, a temporary boost to Child Benefit payments, and tax payment deferrals. Here's the link from the Government of Canada detailing support for individuals and businesses.


The deadline to file taxes has been extended to June 1st.


Student loan repayment is on pause with no accrual of interest until September 30, 2020, including Pre-Authorized Debits. (With Parliament's approval on March 30th, 2020)


In Ontario, new evictions are being halted.


Other Emergency relief and/or supply boxes/kits also exist:


There are a number of CareMongering Facebook groups that have been organized for people to offer and ask for help. Here are the links to the ones for Toronto and Kitchener-Waterloo. Many others exist so if these two aren’t relevant to you, chances are a quick search will turn up one near you!


Black Creek Community Farm is offering Emergency Food Boxes.


Feed it Forward has been rescuing food from landfill to feed those in need for years, they are ramping up efforts to provide free meals, and are currently in search of volunteers and donations to help make this happen. Link here.

HydroOne has a pandemic relief fund to offer some help with utility bills. 


A kind soul compiled a google doc of support for freelance artists and writers, there are also a number of GoFundMe's that are set up.


Glad Day Bookshop has an emergency survival fund for LGBTQ2S artists, performers, tip-based workers (You can also donate at this link). 


The National Zakat Foundation is making Emergency Kits with food, hygiene products and cleaning supplies (You can also donate at this link). 


Community:


Screenshot from the Social distancing Festival Website
It is a time of #physicaldistancing but we don’t have to be socially distant: There are lots of online places to socialize, and live-streamed/online events and classes are being organized. 

I know I just mentioned them, but the CareMongering groups are also an excellent place to find community - if you're dealing with a problem, lonely, want to discuss something, want to rant, you'll find thousands of friends and strangers in these groups who will be there. A great note I saw there was to try to support live streams/virtual classes from locally-owned gyms and studios while navigating exercise, boredom and the closures to help these small businesses stay afloat. They also are a good place to find Covid-19 related good news.

My friend Erin is sharing some recipes through an Instagram Channel called Cooking with Kang. Recipes are easy and currently focused on stretching resources to support folks who have decreased or no income.

A Toronto-based playwright  started The Social Distancing Festival where artists are sharing snippets from work that has been canceled, delayed or disrupted due to the need for physical distancing. 

Here is a spreadsheet of digital experiences that are being crowd compiled.

Lots of cool online opportunities are being shared by the Ontario Children's Advocacy Coalition.


Harm reduction resource for those who use drugs.

A really important opportunity to help right now, Kids Help Phone is seeking more volunteers for rush training because they are receiving an increased number of calls and texts from young people concerned about COVID-19.


Additionally, Canadian Blood Services is in critical need of blood, especially O-, the universal donor. 



People to be Thinking About

Lastly, there are a lot of marginalized people to be thinking about right now, we cannot leave these vulnerable groups behind. Please share resources on support for these groups, and if you have the bandwidth please help organize something to make a difference! 

Indigenous peoples, particularly reserves with no access to safe water. These groups are often not given adequate resources, face specific challenges because of colonialism, and we need to make sure that no one is left behind. Here is some more information from NDN Collective, and a webinar with loads of good info happened recently on Facebook.

Those who are homeless. With libraries, and restaurants closing in many places, shelters are most definitely going to be stretched very thin and it’s still somewhat chilly outside. Further, how do you practice #physicaldistancing when you don’t have a place to go? How do you wash your hands without access to water? In Toronto, All Saints Church-Community Center, located at 315 Dundas Street East is open and looking for donations.

The immunocompromised, elderly, chronically ill, folks with disabilities: The virus is particularly dangerous to these groups, practicing physical distancing is particularly important to protect these folks. Here is a roundup of stores in Toronto that are offering dedicated hours for seniors and/or folks particularly at risk.

Folks with Mental Health concerns/illness, the neurodivergent:  Being forced to stay inside can be particularly tough for these groups as it could be triggering. This Facebook post includes suggestions for strategies to cope with some anxiety disorders: 

People who might be experiencing domestic abuse/intimate partner violence: Being quarantined with an abuser is a terrible situation Here is a link on information for safety planning during a quarantine from the Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse (JCADA)

Folks who are struggling financially – not everyone can afford to panic buy and hoard. Even disaster preparedness experts are saying having enough for 2 weeks to a month is enough. If you have extras please consider offering them up or organizing a swap (CareMongering groups are good for this).

Grocery store workers, cleaners, delivery drivers, who are on the frontlines keeping our society functioning. Be extra kind to them and say thank you! 

Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help and if there’s any info that I missed/if you have additional resources. Please share to get this info out there, together we can do this!



* I adapted this post from a resource round-up for a Club at the University of Waterloo.

Tuesday, 28 January 2020

Wuhan is more than the Coronavirus (Breaking out of the Outbreak)

 


It is a special kind of grief
To watch your home suffering from
Afar

I haven’t thought of Wuhan as home in a long time, don’t feel like I can claim it as mine
I was born there, yes
But I have lived there for less than 10% of my life
And yet, now, particularly,
I feel the way the blood of family, and history tie me irrevocably to that
City of 11 million people

So I want to name that it
hurts hearing about the coronavirus in China
Seeing videos of the streets so bare when I know what they are supposed to look like
That is where I'm from
The city where I'm from
Its name stamped as "birthplace" on my Canadian passport
A piece of my Chinese identity I have not been forced to lose

I need to share about how I feel a double, maybe triple burden
Not only do I need to be concerned for myself and my family, many of whom are so much closer in proximity to the outbreak than here in Canada
And also, stigma
The fear mongering, and victim-blaming, and xenophobic racism
That is this time pointedly directed at me
The: callous they deserve it, and they are disgusting, and why were they allowed to come?
That make hashtags like “#Chinesearepeopletoo” necessary

How somehow, now,
it makes sense for 11 million people and who knows how many more diaspora to be painted with one critical brush

I know you are afraid
For yourselves and your family
I am asking you to
have compassion for
mine

And of course some people behaved irresponsibly
But most are just regular folk, doing the best with what they know, trying to get home
To see their family

For many
they can only do that this time of year – lunar new year
Reunite with big festivities for the biggest celebration of our people
But this holiday
There are quiet spaces where joy should be
Empty homes that should have been full to the brim
celebration taken by virus  

And there’s also the way
That for many, this virus is all you know of the place I am from
How painful
How mundane
Because how could there be a way for us to know something about every place
But maybe that’s
not how it needs to be
Maybe when we see tragedy we should also remember that this is not all there is
That Wuhan is more than the coronavirus

We are a meeting place of north and south
Often talked about as having some of the best food in China
Dumplings and noodles from the north and sweet white rice from the south all congregate here
How we built a bigger, better subway system than Toronto’s in 4 years
How the very first bullet train in the country was from Wuhan Zhan

So can we please stop always painting China in such a negative light
6 days to build a hospital is “authoritarian” right?
Not innovative, or courageous, or wow that’s leadership,
Like we’d say if this was in Canada
Like Canada could ever pull that off

Can we not say, hey, how
extraordinary that millions of people are taking it as seriously as it should be
Good naturedly doing their part and putting their lives on pause
to stop the spread
Because again it’s people, living their lives, just trying to get by
And not everything you’re not used to is crude
You’re used to plenty that Chinese people would never do

And yes the government has done terrible things, but that information is often presented from the eyes of a racist lens  
And besides it’s not fair to only talk about the bad
Villainize until you no longer empathize with the people because of the government
Villainize until you no longer empathize because of propaganda
Erasing history so it seems like a bigger crime to try to go see family
Than conquest deliberately infecting Indigenous peoples with smallpox

We are people
We shouldn’t have to be perfect to be treated with humanity
I don’t have to prove my
lovability, my humanity, my just-like-you ness to
Get your approval to let me exist

We don’t need to be perfect
don’t have to earn basic human decency
it’s what everyone deserves

The outbreak hit us this time
But we are breaking out of the boxes your racism puts us in

--- 

I never post my poetry to my blog, but this has been on my heart for many days now. It hurts hearing about the suffering in China and around the world, and that's exacerbated by all the racist things people are saying. So I wanted this out there, now, to stand in contrast and stand against the racism that people are spewing. Times like this it’s more important than ever to remember history, but perhaps most of all: we are people, we deserve compassion.