Stop The Cancer

A Black woman is watched carefully while browsing store aisles, 

a sales rep runs to help show me all the fabulous new styles. 

Ahmaud Aubrey was hunted down and murdered by two White men while running, 

my White husband gets to lay in our backyard without a care in the world while sunning. 

Breonna Taylor was shot to death while asleep in her bed,

on that very same night, I fell asleep peacefully as I read. 

A Black boy, Emmett Till, walked into a store in 1955, 

due to a White woman’s lie, he would not survive. No, they made certain he would not survive. 

My young, White nephews will never understand,

what racism feels like firsthand.

George Floyd, a Black man, suspected of using a phony twenty dollar bill,

the video of his murder should make you feel physically ill.

A young White man, Brock Turner, raped an unconscious woman behind a dumpster, 

he got out early for good behavior, can you honestly say that justice was served for her?

Can you not feel their anger, fear, and pain?

Tell me, when you ignore it all, what do you gain?

The one thing we can do wrong right now at this moment, 

is stay silent and pretend we haven’t noticed. 

I don’t know what to say and how to go about all of this correctly, 

but I know doing nothing at all stands with racism directly. 

We need to open our eyes, our minds, our hearts,

and break down the social injustice, racism, and our country’s broken parts. 

The system was designed for white people to experience life differently than people of color,

so it’s imperative we stand up for our Black sisters and brothers.

It is long overdue that we create momentum for a better and brighter future,

we must stop the cancer that is racism and blast it with chemo like we would a tumor.

The Sister Project is committed to learning and listening to how we, as humans, sisters, mothers, friends, writers, and allies, can help create the change our world so desperately needs to see take place. And that time is NOW.

The names of the black men and women killed listed above are interlinked with petitions you can sign to demand justice. We encourage you to do so.

Here is a working document for scaffolding anti-racist resources to help us educate ourselves, friends, and families. It includes books for adults and children, podcasts, and many other anti-racist tools.

Yoga Pipeline is an incredible social justice program that offers yoga to communities that do not have access to it. If you are considering making a donation, perhaps this can be an option.