Reach Out, Reach up

The arc of the moral universe is long

But it bends toward justice. MLK

So, yesterday was a big day for America. There were peaceful marches across the country where people from all walks of life were crying and praying and demanding and hoping for real change in our society in the way that black people are treated – not just by police departments but in every area of life where it’s clear that black lives don’t matter as much as white lives. In my world view, this extends to all minorities: brown, Asian, just anybody that is not white. But, yesterday was about black lives mattering in our world and it was our country heaving and choking in the wake of watching George Floyd’s murder on live t.v. And, yes, it was about George Floyd but it was also about the fact that many in our country are becoming more aware each day that the atrocious George Floyd murder was just the most recent we have literally witnessed in a very long line of murders that paint a clear picture of systemic racism. We are becoming aware as a society that it’s always been this way and that the only thing that has changed is courtesy of technology, i.e. it’s now on video. It’s always been this way for people who are not white. At this moment, I really believe our country is ready for a sea state change. I hope so. I attended the peaceful march in my little desert town yesterday and there were hundreds of us. It was heartening to see and even more delicious to feel that many white people really are waking up to the systemic racism that is the shame of our country. I sense that people are ready to face this head on and although I’m glad I attended the march, I realize this is just a small first step to any kind of real change. And, I saw so much commitment yesterday from people who want to be part of the hard work that comes next. I was proud of our little desert town and proud of all the people who showed up to peacefully exercise their first amendment rights. And, I was so grateful to our stellar Ridgecrest Police Department who were there to protect us in the event of outsiders wanting to cause trouble. There was none of that as had been rumored for days.

It was a hard decision for me to go to the march yesterday because we are in a pandemic. I don’t fully understand all the nuances of the pandemic but I do take it seriously. And, my logical mind had to resolve the two. It was not easy to sort but, finally, I decided that it was, as most things in life are, an individual decision. I assessed the risks and vacillated many times but, in the end, felt compelled to support. I have many friends who wanted to be there but felt compelled to stay home because of the pandemic. It is so heartening to know that their hearts were there and that’s all that counts. In my mind, it makes the numbers even larger. I so hope change is possible. We have so many problems in our country today but we have to start somewhere. It was most inspiring yesterday to see all the young people who turned out to march. They were black, white, brown, gay, straight, Asian, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, – a true microcosm of our city and our country. None of them were angry and all I spoke with were respectful and hopeful. Those young people I spoke with yesterday in the park and on the march inspire me as I imagine they do all of us. A huge thank you to each of them and a huge thank you to their parents who are raising these young people to view a world of hope, knowing they have to work for the change that hope and time will bring. My sweet and erudite niece, Emily, recently reminded me that some people are racist out of hate and some out of ignorance. It’s good to have perspective and that perspective provides hope going forward.

When I started this painting, I was tired and my heart was aching for the family of George Floyd and all the others before him. I couldn’t get the image of that policeman with his hands in his pockets as though he were bored as he watched the life drain out of the man whose neck his knee was on. I needed to feel grounded and that always makes me think of trees. So, the tree lead me to the need for all of us to reach out and to reach up. As usual, there is a yin-yang as we struggle for balance and there is a peace sign as we work toward equity. The two male silhouettes represent all the black men who have suffered overt racism and the hands represent all the women who are reaching out now to lift up those suffering from the latest tragic deaths.

This is a bit heavy and I have no fun story today. But, I do have a strong belief in the strength of our country to confront and handle any challenge and foe we face. Today I believe that challenge is racism and I am confident we are ready to face the future knowing that the arc of our shared moral universe really does bend toward justice.

L’Chaim