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When we finished that protest, I felt powerful and invincible. There was a fire burning inside of me because our passion had purpose and hope. That feeling, however, quickly dissipated as the protest ended, the bubble burst, and the harsh reality of being black slapped us in the face.

As I came off that high feeling like our actions were making a difference, I was immediately reminded that there are groups of people that are apathetic to our struggle. As protesters our voices were only being heard and seen by those willing to listen and empathize.

Walking away from the protest and back towards our home over the bridge, the cries of \"Black Lives Matter\" were muffled by the sounds of music, cheers, and revving of boats and yachts. To these people it was just another day to pull out the yacht while we were just asking for the bare minimum -- to just matter. They were unbothered by what was happening on the other side of the bridge just a few blocks away.

As I stood on that bridge, stuck in between two worlds, I realized in that moment that if you are ignoring us then you are choosing to stay ignorant. It is easy for white people to ignore what does not impact them when they are not oppressed by the same issues that burden me, as a black person. That, is your white privilege.

When I wake up every day and look in the mirror I see a black woman who is not afforded those same privileges. I don't have a choice about being black. It is not something I get to ignore. It is not something I can escape. It is who I am and who I am proud to be.

I scroll through social media and see posts, tweets, and pictures from the late great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Yes, these images and words are powerful with deep meaning; but how crazy is it that MLK's quotes, letters, speeches are still relevant today? These profound words are from the 1950s and 1960s, and they are still applicable to our society as it stands. It is 2020, and we are still fighting for the exact same thing.

Despite these injustices, we are not fighting for revenge but equality. Despite the oppression, we are still strong and resilient continuing to fight and stand up to the system. Despite the blatant ignorance and racial stereotypes, we are proud.

Some of you may be tired of hearing the discussions and protesting about racial inequalities, but imagine how tired we must be from experiencing it. I am glad that America decided to wake up, but how long will it last?

Is it the trend of the day soon to be a moment of the past? I do not have the answer, but I do know that at this moment we have your undivided attention.

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A post shared by Rachel Lindsay Abasolo (@therachlindsay) on Jun 6, 2020 at 10:00am PDT

Therefore, it is imperative that you understand we are done being ignored, mistreated, and misrepresented in this society. You need to recognize that we all do not wake up and go about our lives in the same way. You need to acknowledge the reality that centuries of injustices have oppressed us in fashion that has never allowed us to be the same.

And now that you are awake and aware, it is your responsibility to act on that awareness to be better as Americans and to uphold the ideals this country claims to possess.

If it did not happen in your grandparent's generation or your parent's generation, then let's make sure that it happens in this one so we can mold the next generation. The only way to make this happen is through voting to demand reform, through education to understand the past and the present, through a willingness to unlearn societal behaviors, through difficult conversations and through truly opening our hearts.

I do have hope for the future, but you will have to excuse my skepticism as my hope is blurred by 400 years of oppression.

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