Stories are powerful. In fact, story sharing has been a powerful tool for change.

Stories inspire those who listen and give them the chance to gain a new perspective, to
put themselves in the teller’s shoes. Sharing also gives greater insight to those who tell
their stories. However, stories are often told by those in power. Some stories are not
told. Some stories are adapted or even erased. As an African American I have learned
that in my own country some people tend to erase our history.

You all have heard of the killing of George Floyd. His story will not be erased,
because so many have identified with it and decided to share it. It has travelled the
world and resonated internationally because it wasn’t an isolated story. Not in the US,
not in the world. The story of racism is a truly global story: one that everyone has a
part in telling. It is disheartening to see how prevalent race discrimination still is in
our societies today. The recurring absence of justice for the black victims of senseless
killings forbids complacency. My heart goes out to all who suffer systemic brutality
and racial injustice.
What is unbearable about this country is the way society uses stereotypes of black
people to justify violence and racism against them. America is a country of double
standards, there are scapegoats and there are sacred cows. The stereotype that every black
man is potentially a criminal has been internalized in American society. So, if you’re black in
the US, you have to be the good black who doesn’t break the rules. You have to always be at
your best possible behaviour even if it means walking on eggshells. You have to be the one
who stands in line and doesn’t jump the queues at train stations. If your white American
neighbour verbally or physically abuses you, you’re supposed to swallow it and not complain.
Moreover, we, African American people, cannot feel safe in this country. Most
of the time, when a white police officer kills a black person, he isn’t blamed nor
charged a trial of his crime. Remember the story of Trayvon Martin, a young 17 years
old teenager who was killed because he was wearing a hoodie. He was said to be a
suspicious man by the one who killed him. The glaring truth is that they didn’t bother to
seek incriminating evidence against the police officer. This police blunder makes the US
justice system lose its credit. The police officer should have been held accountable for the
killing of Trayvon Martin. He was not demoted nor transferred in another post. The time for
change is now. We demand radical transformation to heal the long history of systemic
racism so that all Americans have the equal right to live and to pursue happiness.

As a matter of conclusion, Black lives do matter. Black Lives Matter doesn’t mean
your life isn’t important, it means that Black lives, which are seen as without value within
White supremacy, are important to your liberation. Given the disproportionate impact state
violence has on Black lives, we understand that when Black people in this country get free,
the benefits will be wide-reaching and transformative for society as a whole. For the last but
not the least, when Black people will get free, everybody will get free.