George Floyd

It has been a turbulent time the last few months. The murder of George Floyd has a been a defining moment in American history. The pandemic along with his death has led to a racial injustice awakening. From Ahmaud Arbery to Breonna Taylor and countless others who have been killed just for being black, the world has finally taken notice.

I was finishing up a photoshoot downtown with some good friends when we came across a massive protest in downtown Houston. We had literally just been talking about protests happening in Houston. I was heartening to see people coming together to call out the racial inequality that is built into our culture. I also drove out to get a glimpse of George Floyd funeral procession. It was moment that I had to witness.

So many people in the majority have the privilege of ignoring the problems facing so many. It’s easy to do when it doesn’t affect you. It’s easy to say it doesn’t exist when you have never experienced it first hand. It’s also easy to dismiss when you think racism is only about calling people names or blatantly treating them bad because of what they look like.

Racism is more than that. Racism is years of policies being made to give certain people the upper hand. It’s people having biases that stops them from hiring, becoming friends, and/or serving people who don’t look like them. It’s the police being afraid of black men to the point they shoot them for any minor reason. It’s a fear of black people that when pushed to explain can’t be explained. We need to move beyond thinking that if minorities succeed white people will not.