Alicia Garza wrote, “I’m so inspired when I see people who have a way that they do things, have a way that they think about the world, and they’re courageous enough to be open to listening to what the experiences are of so many of us who want to live in a world that’s just and want to live in a world that’s equitable.”
After George Zimmerman was acquitted at his murder trial for killing Trayvon Martin, Alicia posted on Facebook, “I continue to be surprised at how little Black lives matter… Our lives matter.” Patrisse Cullors then shared that posting, adding the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter, and a slogan was born. But she was an activist before that time as well as after. Garza’s own life, raised by an African American single mother and, later, a Jewish stepfather, was an experience of racial and religious differences. Her book, “The Purpose of Power,” includes a call to build movements and bases “larger than the people we feel comfortable with.”
Why is there a focus within RYSEC and within the AEU on racial justice? Because at the core, our identity is about human worth and human connection, and, in more wise words we can hear from Alicia Garza, “We want to see a world where black lives matter in order for us to get to a world where all of our humanity is respected.”