A Thought on Lamenting.

Lament (noun) - a passionate expression of grief or sorrow.

Today we lament 

We lament who we thought our neighbors to be

For the truth of who they actually are.

Something that has grieved my heart deeply this year is how long the fight for equity and inclusion has lasted and likely will last. When I think about the beauty, worth, love, joy, and brilliance that I see in the Black community I am grieved thinking about the fact that others don’t see that when they look at us.

I lament for the long road that I see ahead of us. I think about the closeness of this election (at the time that I’m writing this the results are still not clear) and I lament the fact that someone so awful can be chosen by so many. I remember growing up and being so unaware of politics and violent police and racist losers and I lament the fact that the Black and brown young people of today don’t get to live in that bliss. 

Today I lament. Even if I wake up to a Biden victory my tears will be a mix of happiness and grief, joy and sorrow, excitement and disappointment. We lament not because we’re surprised by the blatant racism in our society but rather for the journey we have before us as we continue to fight it. 

I lament for the Black joy that is lost to racism. I lament for the Black families that are torn apart due to racism. I lament for the Black men that are murdered in the street by racism. I lament for the Black women who are disrespected, stereotyped and taken advantage of by racism. I lament for myself. I lament for you. I lament for us. 

Today we lament. 

We lament who we thought our neighbors to be

For the truth of who they actually are.