Mountaintops and Valleys

Wednesday, September 23, 2020, was another difficult day for many Black people in the United States. Once again, it appears that no one is going to be held accountable for the death of an unarmed Black person. On March 13, 2020, Breonna Taylor was sleeping in her bed when she was killed by police, who executed a “no knock” warrant. Taylor’s case is not unique in that Black people continue to face being killed and brutalized by police.

Knowing that Black people continue to be subjected to police brutality is an ongoing valley experience for Black people. What do I mean by that? Well, in every life there are valley experiences and mountaintop experiences. The valley signifies difficulties, hardships, grief, despair and pain. In contrast, a mountaintop experience signifies intense moments of joy, peace, gratitude, and the fruition of dreams. Wednesday, September 23, 2020, was a difficult day. I felt sorrow for the loss of Breonna Taylor’s life and the failure to hold anyone accountable. Simultaneously, I had a mountaintop experience that day because I was promoted. It was a promotion that I had dreamed about for years and it finally happened. This divided feeling is a constant feeling that many Black people struggle with. Even as I write this post, my words feel inept as they fail to fully describe the struggle of working to take care of our families while simultaneously processing the heaviness, and deep pain that is associated with being at the bottom of a caste system that is based on race.

To read more about what happened on March 13, 2020, please go here. If you want to learn more about how to help address this injustice: standwithbre