Pimples and Black Liberation

I woke up with a pimple on my face. Perfect. My anxiety would have an outlet today. A distraction from the barrage of images and clips and headlines reminding me that my mere existence is a problem. Picking at the otherwise unnoticeable zit would be the perfect distraction from the constant reminders that my life in this country must be ended.

In a matter of seconds, Daunte Wright went from a loving father to a hashtag. As a Black person in America, we are all acutely aware of the fact that within a few seconds we can go from someone’s child to someone's movement. There aren’t words to describe the pain of seeing another Black person murdered by police, so I won’t even try. All I will say is, fuck the police.

No training or reform can stop a murderous institution. When we say abolish the police, we mean abolish the entire police. Defund the police, so the money can be redistributed to the communities killed, beaten, and harassed by police. Dismantle the system police operate in so the power they once held can be given back to the people who have been living powerless, fearful that any and every action is a justification for their death. Abolish the institution of policing so that Black people can envision a world in which they feel safe enough to exist, to exhale, to maybe even thrive. Defund, dismantle, and abolish the police now.

Today I woke up with a pimple on my face and a message in my heart. My anxiety will probably get the best of my skincare routine. However, white supremacy will never get the best of me.

Black folks, be gentle with yourselves. Rest, turn off the news, take care of each other. Non-BIPOC folks, give your money, time, and energy to support and uplift Black people. And to everyone, fight like hell until we reach abolition. No one is free until Black people are free.