Michigan in Color: The Equality Movement

It seems over the few remaining months of this year our world has encountered much more than a climate change. We are in the midst of a global equality movement. Daily, there are new stories from around the globe being discovered — exposing law enforcement that has served less in favor of justice for the people, and is more connected to maintaining power and control. Foreign affairs and policies regarding women’s rights, the dismantling of governmental structures, policies regarding sexual assault, the inclusion of United States laws and sexual orientation, and the currently magnified police brutality against minorities all serve as equally important happenings in this awakening. As these situations occur, our readied fingers take to social media to voice various emotions: hurt, pain, anger, confusion — all of which are natural without filters and at times may be misconstrued through our own actions and not benefit the urgent needs of these situations. Within those tangled emotions, my observance of the superior emotion — love, is what intertwines these expansive and contrasting responses and makes hope tangible. Love is the source to pull from hate and create peace. Love has the ability to look beyond rage and grasp influence. Love has the ability to not only empathize but strategize and positively control and structure the myriad of negative feelings that are all human. The piece created stems from this space of unconditional love and hope for the better amongst the seemingly disastrous battleground we face on this earth. I seek to challenge the mind, will and emotions of my global community at large to find the answers for the “Why me? Why us?” question that we all internally battle everyday. I wish to impart a complex but simple answer that I believe would do us all well. I challenge all people to accept with earnest power, and heroic boldness the very source that rapper Kendrick Lamar has found in his most recent song, and embrace the equality movement in deciding I love myself.