In the midst of the stress and anxieties of dealing with a viral pandemic that has taken the lives of over 107,000 Americans, we turn on our TV’s each night and brace for the violence that is destroying so many of our neighborhoods and disrupting lives. Social Media is over loaded with posts about the state of our union in this present moment in time.
Let me begin by recognizing the terrible injustice done in Minneapolis last week, and the long history of racial injustice behind it. I have lived through difficult times in history dating back to the civil rights movement, the tragedy of Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination, the Viet Nam War protests and numerous racial incidents dating back to the beating of Rodney King which led to unrest and anger in LA back in 1992. But the tragic and unnecessary death of George Floyd shines a bright, ugly light on how institutional racism has permeated our history and become ingrained in our culture just like a deadly virus…and I know that it is hard to feel hopeful with this “wrong” as we seek to make right.
The anger and frustrations of the LA riots after the senseless beating of Rodney King was almost thirty years after “I Have a Dream,” and now another almost 30 years have passed- we are still broken. It seems insane and impossible that the world could still be so wrong, so far into the 21st century.
It saddens me that we all are experiencing varying degrees of trauma with our present day circumstances. In this time of instant, rapid communication and 24/7 media exposure- we watched in real time a black man murdered- almost ten minutes of a man’s life being snuffed out in front of our eyes without so much as a single moment of compassion for his life-his soul.
We are also in the middle of a pandemic which is over 90 days long where we have been isolated; we are under undue stress in suspending our lives during this pause phase; we are mourning the passing of friends, families and fellow Americans from COVID-19; and we have not been able to hug and touch and be the social beings that we are biologically wired to crave and to be. Both of these social conditions amplify the issue of the moment in ways both negative right now and hopefully positive when we come out on the other side of this. In the meantime, we remain afraid, angry, frustrated, and for many of us- feeling hopeless.
BHSC is an organization that respects and celebrates diversity. Our primary desire for any child, adult or family that comes to us is to provide help and hope for all. We are a part of the community and as such, we stand together with our brothers and sisters of color…yesterday-today-and always.
I am particularly concerned about the traumatic effects these incidents are causing for children. When I see the face of any one of our beautiful students all I see is hope- hope for the future- theirs, mine and ours. But I realize that the hope that I wish for them is impacted by today’s events in ways that will need time and attention to help heal. Trauma whether it be situational or cumulative alters the way we look at and negotiate life and relationships. We all need support, today now more than ever…We all need validation and recognition, today now more than ever…We all seek a comfort with life, today now more than ever.
We must join together and pledge to work hard to make the world a safer, a better, a more equitable place for each of us- but especially for our children. I don’t want either of today’s traumatic occurrences to return us to normal. I want us to make certain that a new, improved normal happen at all levels- I desire that we push hard to see that real change actually happens. To accomplish this we must have the will to make meaningful changes a reality. Most importantly, we must value all people in ways that truly ensure a life equal for all. I don’t want equality to just be a quote etched into a marble monument that makes us think it is true- we must live it, breathe it, believe it and make it true for all!
To our staff, children, clients and community, BHSC remains faithful and committed to our beliefs that all men and women have value and purpose in life. If you are feeling overwhelmed, please stop and be mindful that we can and will get better…we are there with you, and for you. We will join hands together in promise- to help make sure that we leave the world in a better place for all children- for all people.
I leave you with a favorite quote that I use as a cognitive-behavioral reminder for myself when my hope begins to wane at moments like this…
No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite – -Nelson Mandela
Stay safe, be well and work to stop hate now, tomorrow and all days to follow, joe cozzo
