How Do We Continue to Counteract Hate and Violence? by Liz Caravaca

We are sad and outraged and ever more afraid for our children, youth, and families of color in light of the vicious murders of Ricky Best and Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche and the brutal stabbing of survivor Micah Fletcher.

These three people risked their lives - and two of them died- defending youth from a person (a known white supremacist) threatening them with anti-Muslim hatred.

What would have happened to these youth if these three people didn't stand between them and this racist, violent hater?

How do we continue to counteract hate and violence?
How will we continue to (try and) protect children and youth of color? How will we actually and successfully protect them?
What do parents say to their children? What do teachers say to their students? How does our own race impact what we say and how we say it in these conversations?

What are we DOING about it?

When we say to stand up for what's right, to speak out against injustice - and - we tell our children and youth to be safe - how do we explain what happened in any way that makes sense ?
Do we tell them to 'look for the helpers', when this time the helpers - the heroes - were brutally murdered in the act of helping? (And so often 'the helpers' don't seem to be there to 'help' POC). How do we equip youth to be and behave in the world as up-standers?

How do we help parents and teachers who are white understand how conversations about this and about 'safety' are SO different for POC?

Do we explain this as the horrendous actions of one mentally unstable person? Or do we tell our children the truth about how afraid we are for our families and friends who are targeted because they are (or are perceived to be) brown, black, Muslim, immigrant and the reality is that they are being targeted more every day?

Do we say that we are more afraid every day - every minute of every day - for our own children of color and for our students of color? Do we admit we are scared for them to use public transportation because hateful, racist people will target them?

THIS is what is happening in our world.
This is not about the actions of one mentally unstable individual. 

This is another evil manifestation of white supremacy.