I’d like to share something I wrote for work today, after the head of HR warned me that abolition is too politically charged to discuss in the workplace:
In the last two weeks, I have personally witnessed acts of extreme violence. I was just a few feet away when two NYPD cars drove into a crowd, running several people over. I watched as a line of police charged into a group of peaceful protesters, grabbing and beating protestors and bystanders alike as they fled. Many of my friends have been pepper sprayed, tear gassed, and arrested during legal, peaceful protests here in NYC, as well as other cities around the country. These are facts. This isn’t just something I saw on the news. I experienced it.
Part of why we’re seeing such widespread and prolonged protests is because millions around the country have also just had this experience for the first time. But the truth is that this kind of violence has been the constant experience of Black Americans for centuries. This is a fact, and it is the reality we’re seeking to change when we affirm that Black Lives Matter. It is deeply uncomfortable to face, and most certainly inconvenient for the workplace.
I recognize the importance of the workplace as a safe space. We’re here to work, and many people of all political persuasions see the workplace as a refuge amidst the instability of the world around us. It can be a place to focus on something less contentious than the deluge of anxiety and bad news we find elsewhere. But I don’t believe we can ignore this moment and maintain a clean conscience.
To disallow conversation about the movement that is currently sweeping across this country is to protect the status quo of overwhelming discrimination and segregation throughout our society. Yes, these are fraught and challenging conversations to have. I recognize that some members of our staff may have loved ones that are police officers who currently feel threatened by this movement and these ideas. But part of how we got here was our unwillingness to have these difficult exchanges – with family, friends, and yes – even coworkers.
Thank you for reading.