Today started much like most days: I got up. I went into my living room/dining room to eat lunch with my mother. We usually start the day with the news, usually on NY1 for their local coverage, while I check my email and apply for jobs or write some quick correspondence.
During the broadcast, the coverage shifted towards national news. Over the past week or so, I’ve been following the Tyre Nichols killing by police down in Memphis. I started reading a couple of articles that described the events surrounding the young brother’s death, and I just felt heartache, despair and anger. That brother didn’t deserve to be beaten to death.
Honestly, I’ve been so upset about it that I haven’t really been able to concentrate on work today. So when the racism and brutality just gets too much for me, I often turn to Mos Def‘s Black on Both Sides — in particular, “Umi Says.”
As always, Black lives matter, y’all.