Following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police in the United States, protests erupted there and across the world. The hashtag #BlackLivesMatter once again came to the fore, with individuals using it as a rallying cry to marshal support against police brutality and toward reform of policing and dignity for black and brown communities. As those protests occurred, counter-protests also sprang up, and ‘All Lives Matter’ became the slogan for some. What does a sensitive reading of this season and of history yield? Is #BlackLivesMatter a racist call, as alleged by some, or are people mistaking symbols for actual progress and so failing to understand the times and what they require of us?

In this brief excerpt, Ayanda and Dambudzo look at these and other questions, calling for clear eyes as we view history and empathy when we witness the suffering of fellow human beings.

Find us:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/walking_on_water_mzansi/

Email - [email protected]

Links to resources:

Calvin Michaels on "Symbolism" as a distraction from real progress - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbnA8KEq8f4

Book by Mark Charles and Soong Chan Rah - "Unsettling truths: The ongoing, dehumanizing legacy of the doctrine of discovery"

Music:

Stevener - Black Excellence 600