What now?
Last month was such a whirlwind of reflection and spoken commitments to racial justice. I loved it. So much of the conversation happening was long overdue. But what happens now? Personal posts are no longer paused. We’ve seen big wins alongside token gestures. The short attention span of popular media has been pulled away by other things.
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While it’s easy to get excited over moments, one of my biggest lessons has been that the real and lasting change doesn’t happen overnight. It happens during the long haul. Before the cameras show up. Long after they leave.
It’s easy to feel a sense of defeat or discouragement during those quiet moments. Like… that’s it?? But I found these words from Andre Henry’s newsletter encouraging: “Between the mass demonstrations, movement newcomers are developed into leaders. Organizers reflect on the successes and missteps in the uprising and refine their praxis. Organizations champion the instrumental, tangible, local changes that are necessary to accomplish the big slogans of the mass movement.”
🗓 The Greensboro sit-ins went on for 175 days.
🗓The Montgomery Bus Boycotts went on for 382 days.
🗓 The Freedom Rides went on for 584 days.
But white supremacy has gone on for centuries, so it simply isn’t realistic to expect one month to undo all that. When we buy into the idea that the hard part is over, it actually creates hiding spaces for racism to persist.
This year is a great test in our ability to play the long game. To commit to things beyond the immediate present. It’s easy to get tired during the long haul, so it’s important to come up with sustainable ways to keep up the momentum. Here are a few ideas.
