Keep That Same Energy
The following is an editorial submission and does not directly reflect the collective opinion of all FMFC supporters who align themselves with the mission of The Flock (though it would be cooler if it did).
Words: Kyle Carr • Photo: Freedom Inc
Since the May 25th murder of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department and eventual knowledge of the murder of Breonna Taylor, we’ve seen protests in our city and others all over our country and the rest of the world. The protest has been comprised of communities fed up with systemic racism and police brutality against the Black community. Most of these protests have been peaceful, no thanks to opportunists, looters, and those meant to protect and serve who have repeatedly decided force and violence are their only options. We have seen the response from brands, sports teams, friends, and families. We’ve seen Blackout Tuesday come and go, and some dirty, violent cops being arrested and charged.
I appreciate those that have always worked on taking down systematic racism and continue to do so. I appreciate those who have known there is an issue with systematic racism and have recently started joining the cause. I appreciate those who through the past 11 days’ happenings have realized their privilege and realize the benefits it has provided to them.
While I don’t know what will happen next, there is a message I want our white allies to hear loud and clear: We need you to keep that same energy.
Ongoing ways you can keep that same energy to make a difference for the Black community:
Supporting and promoting Black-owned businesses, artists, and musicians
Making informed voting decisions
Supporting local Black non-profit organizations
Funding for education for Black children
Checking on your Black friends and family members
Calling out your friends and family on their racist bullshit
Challenging your own implicit racial biases
Using your privilege to help out those that don’t have it
It’s important to get involved and get the message out when things are clearly in a bad place, but it also needs to happen after the current news cycle is over or as things start to improve. It’s similar to taking antibiotics: we can’t stop just because things start feeling better, we have to complete the course to eradicate the disease. The feeling of wondering, “if I get pulled over by the police, is this my last moment on this earth?” is something I live with every day of my life. It shouldn’t take a video of a Black person being beaten or killed for us to put more effort into the cause.
We have to keep that same energy every chance we get.
Kyle Carr is one of the founders of Featherstone Flamingos, a Flock At-Large Director, and the current head of our Matchday Ops committee. Kyle is also a big fan of the Milwaukee Bucks and write for a fan blog site called Brew Hoop. When he’s not quarantined and/or we’re not living in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, you can probably find him eating at some restaurant in Madison and/or hanging out with his family, dog (Gio) and cat (Pico) #BuyThisSh*t
