By Kisha A. Brown
Injustice vs. Justice
If we don’t name and address the specific barriers facing us as Black people in accessing justice then we will continue to see the same atrocities replay themselves.
And by atrocities I mean…
- Entering into contracts that barely pay and deplete us of skill and capacity building– bad terms matter.
- Our kids getting cursed out by cops– that’s against the law.
- Black women senior vice presidents undermined, undervalued and then underhandedly getting pushed out without reprieve– make sure if you leave it’s with a big check.
- Black men fearing courtroom outcomes so much they delay, avoid, no-show and miss out altogether (the process will proceed without you).
We know injustice all too well.
We also have to know that justice is our birthright and belongs to each of us.
Surrealist blues poet and storyteller, Aja Monet flows through 6 minutes and 16 seconds describing joy as righteous and ratchet and as the BBQ in the backyard and a recipe passed on to which she then concludes that true joy is, has always been and will always be justice.
Justice is an effervescent yet too often evasive feeling that we chant aloud in front of City Hall and pontificate on at the dinner table but we haven’t really broken down what that means in our own individual lives.
We know it when we feel it. It’s an unforgettable moment, yet we often don’t treat it as the priceless lifeforce it is.
What is it worth to have our children respected by the law enforcement officers whose salary is paid for by our tax dollars? What is it worth to have Black women go to work free from anxiety and feeling empowered so that they can effectively navigate the inevitable labyrinth of challenges on their job? What is it worth for Black men to secure a child support order in the best interest of their children or a custody decision that doesn’t hinder their love?
If any of those scenarios hit home then you know the answer is “Everything!” Because peace of mind is priceless and it’s the only way to make progress in life. Yet, we are often floating by justice in a “Do It Yourself” raft wondering how we can anchor on to it.
When we shift the culture — from reactive to proactive, from crisis to protection — we align with our natural compass that knows justice is our birthright and we owe it to ourselves and the next generation to put everything on the line for it.