When the Small Stones Begin to Tumble

I invite you to creatively see this image as an allegorical summons to change. Imagine that the water pooled up here is justice, wealth, stability and fairness. Imagine too that those who first came to this place had very intentionally placed huge stones in the middle of this stream to manipulate the flow of these waters to benefit themselves while depriving others down stream access to them. Soon they created places that were well irrigated and prosperous with growing things. They enjoyed shade and some deep sections to swim in when the heat came. At the same time, this created other places that were dry and wanting; devoid of the ability to feed, comfort or sustain those who lived there. 

Eventually others came to these places. Those who deemed themselves worthy to live near "the reservoir" allowed fear to shrink their hearts and thus, expended great energy thinking of ways to ensure that only they could stay there. This would require that others would be on the unfortunate end of laws meant to keep folks separated. Over time, people got used to this arrangement no matter if they benefitted from it or suffered as a result of it. This became "the norm" for those who deemed themselves normal and norming. They repeatedly insisted that they had become the standard by which normalcy was measured and thus determined. They painted lots of images showing themselves enjoying life at the reservoir and allowed the thick growth to prevent them from seeing life downstream. This dear readers is what is known as systemic racism; a truth that combines the power of law, wealth and control to create ways with which we travel through life. Some are meant to derive benefit from this system while others are harmed. Both are impoverished. 

Recently, I was talking to an older white woman who admitted coming to the sad realization of how unfair things have been for black people. I could tell that she was resolved to seek more understanding and then change her ways of thinking and acting. During this encounter, I had an image in my mind of one small stone tumbling away from that embankment of rock in the river. I then had this vision of other stones tumbling away; made up of determined, educated, and spiritually convicted people who were committed to changing their way of thinking. I pondered the potential of what could happen if more and more people emerged from the dreamlike state of having silently assented to the damning and damming of the waters that assured racism's benefit and harm. 

So right here and right now is the moment to decide this question. How many more links in the chain of black deaths have to be forged to muster the energy for each of us to leave our place in the embankment? What if today was the day to move? The moment you tumbled down and away from your place in the dam, the velocity of justice's flow would increase ever so slightly, causing your friends to notice your response. This singular act of"interruption" from our collective slumber has the potential to incite the tumbling of others. What a marvel it would be to watch as the flow became swifter and more animated until each act of destabilizing made way for a gush of water to flush out the sediment and begin dislodging the boulders of institutional intransigence.

Make no mistake: each institution such as education, government, law enforcement, faith communities, housing & lending, corporations, etc. has actively perpetuated racism with structural rebar and cement that each poured deep down into the earth of us. As foreboding as these structures seem at present, they will eventually give way. It's possible that something big will intervene such as the ongoing effects of a pandemic or humanity's response to the changing global climate. Perhaps it will be some unseen force that astounds the collective will into a willingness to change. No matter how, the one thing that is for sure is that one small act of loving justice can begin the reclamation of the river to nourish all in the valley.