“It Will Need to Be the Women”
Dear Women,
This morning I am thinking of the African-heritage mothers who fear for their children’s lives here in the United States. I am thinking about the Black mothers of sons shot down in the streets of the United States. I am thinking about the militarization of the U.S. police forces at the local and state level. As women, as mothers, as aunties, as grandmothers, what do we need to discharge, what do we need to face, in order to take a stand to realize our Goal 1—the elimination of racism, in particular the racism aimed at people of African heritage?
For me personally, I am enraged and having sessions about what is happening in the streets of America. I get incensed when I read about “over there”—news reports of terrorism overseas, of genocide of children overseas—when children are being gunned down here on our own streets, in our own neighborhoods, and the police are responding to peaceful civilians with militarized force.
I am a mother and a grandmother. My heart breaks; I rage and cry in sessions. I listen to my daughters who have African-heritage sons. I listen to my friends and neighbors who have African-heritage sons. I attend community events. I back the leadership of my community-activist friends by listening, by standing with them, by sharing meals and talking.
People spend so much time grieving the loss of celebrity lives, but it is our children who are dying daily, often violently, and I think that if anyone can stop the violence, it will need to be the women.
With love,
Marcie Rendon
International Liberation Reference
Person for Native Americans
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Reprinted from the RC e-mail
discussion list for leaders of women
1 A goal adopted by the 2001 World Conference of the Re-evaluation Counseling Community and reaffirmed by subsequent World Conferences: That the elimination of racism, in particular the racism aimed at people of African heritage, be actively made an ongoing, central piece of the work of the Re-evaluation Counseling Community.
2 “Back” means support.