Regina Cannon reflects on race, racism, equity, and current events on “Morning Cup of Equity”
June 12, 2020
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Regina Cannon, Host: [00:06] Good morning friends, I’m Regina Cannon. Thank you for joining me for a morning cup of equity.
[00:11] As protests and demonstrations demanding justice and systematic changes in law enforcement continue around the country, we keep hearing the question: will this be a moment or a movement?
[00:22] Will this be a heightened sense of awareness that will recede as the days go on, as these moments have done after so many other murders of Black women and men at the very hands of those sworn to serve and protect us? Or is this moment different? Is this time different? Will this convergence of a health pandemic, COVID-19, and the even more deadly and ongoing pandemic of racism be the time when a moment becomes a movement?
[00:52] Will we, for once, truly attack systemic racism in all its ugly forms? Will we have the kinds of sweeping reforms and reimagining of public safety that are so needed? Will we reimagine criminalization of all kinds, from the classrooms where our Black and Brown children are more likely to be disciplined and suspended for the same behavior as White children? Will we stop criminalizing homelessness and commit to the right of everyone to have the housing and supports they need to thrive? And the questions go on and on and on and only you can answer them.
[01:30] So friends, that answer to the question “moment or movement?” should be answered by each one of us. What are you willing to do beyond putting out a beautiful statement, or sending out a tweet, or putting a sign in your front lawn proclaiming that “Black Lives Matter?” Movement implies intentional action toward a goal, toward significant change, toward transformation. Are you willing to not always lead, but to sometimes follow the guidance of those Black leaders who have labored for years to create a more just and fair society? Are you willing to go into your workplaces and demand equitable treatment and compensation for your Black and Brown colleagues? Are you willing to vote in a way that not only serves your interest, but the interest and needs of those who don’t look like you, who don’t live in your neighborhoods?
[02:29] See, it’s not enough to knowledge the problems, that’s just the beginning. The goal is to do something about them, to challenge them, to move them. So friends, you decide: is it a moment or a movement?
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[2:50] Until next week.
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Access additional Morning Cup of Equity episodes and a podcast series on race equity and homelessness on C4’s “Changing the Conversation.”
