Jun 3, 2020 4 min read

“I can’t breathe.” Those words were spoken by George Floyd as he pleaded for his life.

I’m not sure I know how to say the right thing. I don’t want to get it wrong. The events unfolding in our country demand that I listen more than I speak. But I feel a responsibility to participate in provoking change.

George Floyd and Ahmaud Aubrey are the latest names on a list that should never have been written. It’s a list that should sicken every American . . . a list of black men killed by white men because of the color of their skin.

When I was a kid growing up against the backdrop of unrest that was the 1960s, my father taught me to see the differences in people. He taught me to see, in order to teach me to honor and respect those differences, and to love all people regardless of the color of their skin. My father chose to stand against racism then and lived by that example.

It was not a popular choice in some circles back then. But he stood firm. I watched and learned. I have tried to live by his example, but I have not done enough. Because in 2020, names are still being written on that list.

In my lifetime, over 60 years, nothing has changed. If you are white, you cannot understand what it means to be a black in America, because what happened to George Floyd in Minneapolis wouldn’t have happened to you.

We love to wrap ourselves in a flag, call ourselves patriots and claim to be “the greatest country on Earth.” Yet we stand by as these despicable hate crimes against our own continue. We cannot claim to be great when justice and human dignity have little meaning. We cannot allow these crimes against humanity to continue. Every time a man is killed in this country for simply being black, every American life is diminished.

The time to do what is right is about 300 years overdue. We must be the change. We could have changed after Emmitt Till was murdered for being black 65 years ago. We could have changed in the wake of Dr. King’s assassination 52 years ago.

Confronting racism is our responsibility. We cannot look away. We cannot insult our brothers and sisters by saying we do not see color. We must honor and respect all races and cultures. We speak up and stand firm no matter who pushes back.

Inequality continues to pull at the fabric of our society. People of color continue to be marginalized. Hate continues to hide in plain sight and the smell of fear is everywhere. Now is not the time to be silent, lest our silence be misconstrued.

Now is the time to speak up, to use our God-given gifts to move hearts, minds and actions toward a place that will better protect everyone’s dignity and humanity.

Learn about someone who is living a different American experience than your own. See color, do not try to be color-blind. To be honest, you should not want to. Don’t avoid the differences that divide our country.

Instead, celebrate the differences that unite our humanity. It is not enough to not be racist; one must be actively anti-racist. That means using your voice and time to make a difference in eradicating the cancer that is racism everywhere. Hate has divided our country for too long.

It is indeed hard to breathe.

Jamie Protin is founder and principal of The Protin Group in Belle Vernon.

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