I paused and listened intently as TJ Holmes delivered a powerful summation about the feelings of the black community right now. He said there is a profound exhaustion.

Yes, I thought. That’s it.

He explained that African-American are disproportionately dying from Covid-19, experiencing higher than usual unemployment rates and have witnessed three videotaped incidents involving black men in the last few weeks. Two of them ended in the deaths of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery. He said this has the black community wondering when was it ever great for us in America?

I wondered, when or how will it ever be? It’s exhausting fighting for basic rights.

Michael Strahan chimed in that leadership comes from the top.

Who is at the “top” of America who will be an instrument of change? I wondered.

President Trump won’t be demanding arrests. Many of the Congressional “leaders” have been there for decades and done little or nothing to end gun violence, police brutality, inequities in the justice system, healthcare system and education. So, who will take action?

More importantly, I wondered, how do you protect yourself when you don’t know when an assault on your freedom or right to life is coming like in the case of Breonna Taylor? Is legally owning a gun the answer? It didn’t help Philando Castile.

When you don’t matter to the society that your ancestors’ blood, sweat and tears help build, I don’t know what will ensure your safety or the security of your loved ones. When you can’t even cover what’s happening in this country without fear of arrest, like the CNN crew in Minneapolis, how will you ever the see what’s going on?

I have no answers but I’m thinking. When I figure out what I want and need to do, I will take action. I hope everyone else will do the same.

#GeorgeFloyd #RaceInAmerica #DemandJustice #TimeForChange #AhmaudArbery #BreonaTaylor #covid19 #coronavirus #pandemic #minnesota #AfricanAmerican