May Stories: #BLACKLIVESMATTER

Graphics by @shirien.creates (via Instagram)

The last few weeks have been heartbreaking and horrifying, as we are once again faced with images of police officers murdering Black people. The systemic racism and gross injustices in the United States are more visible now than ever before, as engaged people proactively use media to educate, to organize, and to advocate for our rights. COVID-19 has further demonstrated the grave disparities in health and resources. More than 100,000 people in the United States have died as a result of the Pandemic, and Black Americans have been disproportionately impacted, representing 23% of total deaths nationwide and 30% of fatalities in Illinois. All of us have a responsibility to challenge systemic racism, create spaces and opportunities to lift each other, and directly confront injustice. Let us seize this opportunity to rebuild the flawed systems that hold us back and seek the world that we know is possible. The challenge is ours to face head-on together.