Holding Space for Grief
Cover Art by: Danielle Coke
Breathe in. Breathe out.
It has been a heavy week in a series of difficult weeks. While uplifting positive experiences, gratitude, and activism is my usual norm, I also want to hold space for those who have been grieving or for those where grief is beginning to sink in. From my perspective, the weekend of Cinco de Mayo is difficult for several pre-existing reasons. All I will say in light of the festivities I saw splashed over social media is if you love Mexican culture and food so much, support us AND undocumented immigrants beyond drinking coronas (which I realize was socially elevated because of the pandemic). Trevor Noah said it well in a comedy special released a couple of years ago, Son of Patricia. He said if immigrants are forced to leave, the U.S. should also relinquish their love of immigrant food and be left with “only potatoes”. All jokes aside, please take some time to educate yourself on the actual meaning of Cinco de Mayo. Surprise! It is not Mexico’s Independence Day. That would be September 16th and believe me, friends, that’s where the real party lives and thrives.
Moving forward through this week, more outrageous, albeit not surprising, news has hit our screens. For more information, check out the post from Unlikely Hikers on Instagram. Again, we’re beholding unchecked white privilege and its manifestation in the U.S. outdoor community as a young black man was shot by two white men while going for a jog in his neighborhood. The video of Ahmaud Arbery’s murder is going viral two months after his death. The outdoor community and justice-seekers are asking the public not to watch or share the video anymore. Below is a list of alternative actions to take shared from the Unlikely Hikers Instagram page:
Being murdered while getting exercise shouldn’t be something anyone has to fear.
1. Please do not look up the footage and, certainly, do not share it. Even to make a point about how horrifying it is.
2. Head to runwithmaud.com and sign the petition and make calls to help bring justice for Ahmaud Arbery’s family. However, DO NOT DONATE via this platform.
3. Donate more directly to the GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/i-run-with-maud
4. Share this information about Ahmaud’s short life, this child of the universe. Say his name.
Hold space for this tragic event and remember it is not unusual. While it may flood our social media outlets this week, the non-Black community is able to switch off devices and take breaks from this lived reality that has persisted for hundreds of years. As a non-Black POC, by holding space for this event and keeping this reality at the forefront of my consciousness builds community beyond donating, signing petitions, and sharing information on social media. As we’re all struggling with our own realities and experiences in this pandemic, I invite us to hold space for each other, support each other, and take some time to grieve with each other.
Breathe in. Breathe out.