Last week, George Floyd's death sent shock waves across the United States and globe. In the midst of our global pandemic, millions have taken to the streets, asking why police brutality and systemic racism continues unchecked in this day and age. Yet amid headlines of riots and misused force and power, distributed crews of goodwill are cleaning things up. Volunteers are sweeping up the shards of glass and scrubbing expletive graffiti from public walls. Neighbors are transcending stereotypes to show up for each other in times of fear. In many cities, elected officials and police officers are practicing deeper listening alongside protestors, walking with their communities, and kneeling in solidarity.
How does compassion respond to racism? Our crew of volunteers drew up a few examples in the stories below.
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Shawn Dromgoole's family has lived in their Nashville neighborhood for over five decades. Although he has known those streets all his life, as a black man, Dromgoole has never felt truly safe walking down the road by himself. "The neighbors didn't know each other. I was the stereotype," he explained. As protests broke out in the wake of George Floyd, Dromgoole shared his fears on the Next Door app: "My family has lived in this neighborhood ... for 54 years and I'm afraid to walk. Yesterday I wanted to walk around my neighborhood, but the fear of not returning home to my family alive kept me on my front porch. Today I wanted to walk again and I could not make it off the porch." Within minutes, 50 neighbors responded offering to walk with him. The next day, 75 people showed up to walk with him in an overwhelming show of solidarity and support.
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Ryan Garza | Detroit Free Press
When a Michigan sheriff approached a group of protesters on Saturday and asked what they wanted police to do, the crowd immediately shouted, "Walk with us! Walk with us!" So Genesee County Sheriff Christopher Swanson replied, "Let's walk." Removing his helmet and baton, he declared, "We want to be with you all for real. I want to make this a parade, not a protest." He joined the crowd of demonstrators who had gathered in Flint Township, bringing attention to systemic racism and police brutality in response to George Floyd's in-custody death in Minneapolis. "We walked another mile and a half, and we shook hands and hugged and talked, and you saw this whole tension just dissipate with the crowd," Swanson describes. "Law enforcement has to come from behind the dash, behind the conference table, behind the podium, and get into the community and talk." The inspiring display of unity drew cheers, and an energy of community solidarity.
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After one of the most heartbreaking weeks in its history, Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota citizens came to the aid of their neighbors at the many food drives being held in Minneapolis on Sunday. At Sanford Middle School, a call was made for food and supplies to help students whose families were affected by the riots. When its organizers asked for 80 bags of groceries, they received 25,000 bags -- enough to fill up six trucks. The donations covered the school grounds on Sunday morning.
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Enjoy this hopeful song about the power of love over hate and destruction. "We Shall Overcome" is a music video created by Empty Hands Music, directed by Ellie Walton & Nimo Patel. It was released in 2018 as a way to reflect on the values US stands for.
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Kyndall Ramirez | Unsplash
In the wake of George Floyd's death, as the world continues to reel from the coronavirus pandemic, Dr. Dzung X. Vo pens a stirring poem, reminding us: "right now / when it seems so hard just to breathe / right now / just breathe".
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