Dear Listeners,
We, like you, have been facing the cruel realities and impact of police violence on communities of color, an especially malignant presence in the Black community.
Even as videographic evidence exists of repeated extra-judicial murders carried out against Black men and women for such things as jogging, being mentally ill, eating ice cream on your couch, talking on your phone in your backyard, answering your front door…for existing while Black, nothing changes.
The nation has been building to this moment since before the current occupant of the white house was born into the home of a ku klux klan member. It is not lost on us that the officer who turned his back on George Floyd is Asian American. We stand by what we have done in the past to point out that Asian immigration would not be possible if not for the Civil Rights Movement and legislation that resulted. We would not be here if not for the ultimate sacrifices of others. We re-commit to calling in, or out, anti-Blackness in the South Asian disapora, and ask that you do the same.
Today, June 2nd, 2020 is Black Out Tuesday. Activists are asking non-Black people to amplify and listen to Black voices. Whether it be creators, journalists, educators, or activists, you need to listen. We need to listen…and learn. Where it may be uncomfortable for us to confront our own anti-Blackness (as individuals or a community), know that thousands lost their lives because we have always avoided discomfort.
For the next week, the Jilted Indian Podcast’s social media accounts will be sharing stories, art, and information that focus on the Black American experience. Some of it may be uncomfortable, most of it will be painful, but we must bear witness to history. We must take action against oppression, we must be allies and accomplices.
Black Lives Matter. #blackouttuesday
The Jilted Indian Podcast 