Welcome to episode 2 of the Metta Mystic: The Great Awakening Part 2: Say His Name: George Floyd

The uncertainty caused by the initial quarantines were scarcely surprising for those who work within government agencies. As a social worker it felt like the reports we had typed out to governing authorities were blinking into place on every platform device across the world.  It’s like trying to light a candle while standing in a flood. Carrying cases of families in Manila folders and jump drives, and now the whole ship was going overboard. Even the band had to stop playing too.

 

But more than all of the other disruptions and changes going on- none was more significantly important than in the realm of social justice- more specifically- racial justice for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities and individuals. Obviously and unfortunately millions of people of color have experienced devastating inequality and oppression in North America since before America was even founded

 

The push for black liberation and abolition has been championed by countless activists, politicians, religious figures, writers, musicians, and everyday people for hundreds of years. The strides made by those brave individuals have broken down barriers and unjust laws and have helped create new policies & opportunities for BIPOC communities. There have been movies made and whole curriculums and organizations formed based on these struggles. But how much had really changed for BIPOC in America?

 

Perhaps it was due to the confluence of all that was going on for the American melting pot to unexpectedly have its lid blown off with the death of one man. There was quarantine pre-George Floyd and quarantine post-George Floyd. And a world that needed to be rattled from complicity and complacency would never be the same.

 

Within the backdrop of a pandemic, the death of George Floyd had sparked the tinderbox of inequality & systemic oppression of the Black communities that has been going on since 1619 and meted out by police and policies to this very day.

 

Much has been discussed about the heart-breaking tragedy of George and Breonna’s deaths- as well as so many other innocent Black lives. There are hundreds of books and tv specials and conversations and podcasts talking about these important issues and they need to keep happening.

For the purpose of this episode- J.D. will be offering a first-person account of what took place the night everything changed in America and specifically in Portland, Oregon. We hope this episode is insightful, inspiring, and helpful as we stand in solidarity with the Black community and honor George Floyd and the many others who have been subjected to police violence. This story is told in hopes these occurrences will one day forever be unjust mistakes of a distant past.

(Additional note: All of the audio recordings in this episode were taken by J.D. during the protests.)

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See you next time on the Metta Mystic!