The Hitchhiker's Guide to Social Consciousness

Hi!

Congratulations on discovering the fact that there are people who don’t look like you, think like you, talk like you, walk like you, share the same worldview as you, nor have the same experiences as you!!

We know that it must have taken some hard effort to arrive at this point (and we’re so proud!), but we also recognize that you’re still new to this, and given the volatility of the current political and social climate, we thought it’d be best to not only commend you, but also offer some sort of guidance before you begin this journey of yours.

So consider this your official welcome to the TRAGIC inconsistency that is the American story, a story marred by betrayed promises, the destruction and mitigation of cultures for personal enjoyment, and a cacophony of violations against the human spirit.

A story, where consortiums of political leaders have shown such paucities of moral righteousness, have shown us their darkest depths of avarice and egoism, that to this very day they continue to make a mockery of the values and ethics that are supposedly the center and foundation of this country.

This is what you’re stepping into, but don’ t worry, you aren’t going to have to face this alone … admittedly if you’re reading this it probably means you’ll never have to face it, but that’s ok, we don’t blame you for that, and it also probably means you’re trying to help someone who deals with this on a daily basis.

Truthfully, we figure that the best allies are those that are well-read and well-spoken, not necessarily seen and not heard, but rather a meticulous combination of present, open-minded, and throw in some humility just for good measure.

Unfortunately, you’re going to have to learn to step out of that bubble of comfortable innocence you have, you’re going to say something stupid, you’re going to do something stupid, and that’s OK.

See we’ve become so engrossed, so staunch in our pursuit to not be wrong, that we’ve lost any sense of our curiosity, a characteristic that has single-handedly brought about golden ages of advancements and discoveries.

The only way to grow, the only way we put some color on our sunset horizons, is to go and seek information, to challenge our beliefs, and in doing this at some point we come across something that demands we recognize a conviction we hold in our hearts as not true, and it’s perfectly fine, it’s time we normalize adjusting and reshaping our thoughts and acts around reliable information. 

Now with this expansion of knowledge and awareness comes the responsibility to share it with others who are ...”behind” for lack of a better term, engage with your confidants, bring them along to events, challenge their misguided words and ill-informed actions, hold elected officials responsible for not answering the calls of justice on the first ring, because it’s easy to say that one doesn’t “see” color, but that statement entails the inability to see color PATTERNS.

Finally, recognize that this is all bigger than just George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, that America was racist before Donald Trump was conceived, that with luck these senseless deaths are the inflection point on the vast crescendo that is racism in America. 

It’s recognizing that Black Lives “Mattering” is really just the baseline, it should be the standard, and it is on us to raise that standard to where Black lives are celebrated, where black lives are valued beyond our inherent talents, where black lives are afforded every right under that clause of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

It’s coming to terms with the fact that racism is more than consciously hating someone, that even if you’re a white person that loves black people, racism couldn’t care less, that it is a parasite, feeding off the destruction of societies from the inside out, finding any possible way to affect how you deal with other people

Yes, hatred is the preferred brand of racism, but this is just one of the many outfits in its closet that it can choose to don, it wears availability as pajamas, Friday nights it likes to wear ignorance, Saturday’s it throws on entitlement and goes to the game with friends, perception is its favorite walking shoes, and unbeknownst to most, Apathy is its Sunday best. 

Because the way that they kill black men in the streets, is the same way they kill black minds in public schools, is the same way they kill black self-esteem and uniqueness with appropriation, is the same way they kill black wealth with specific market and policy discrimination, is the same way they kill black communities by defunding recreation centers, education, housing development, and libraries, is the same way they kill Black women in Doctor’s and ER offices.

If you’re still reading this, I would imagine that you’re feeling overwhelmed by this task laid in front of you, feeling simultaneously infuriated yet defeated, it only took a few moments to do that. Imagine what 400 years must feel like! But don’t fret, because we still hold the greatest superpower in the known universe:

Hope.

The most consistent partner of strength and the unsung hero of every success story, I’d wager that all of us hold some conviction on searching for a better life and working towards a better world to exist in, and I’d argue that being hopeful is the most American act conceivable.

In two weeks, none of this will be trendy anymore. You won’t see anymore black squares on social media, celebrities will have stopped making statements, and the toll of activism will start to wear on on our spirits.

So if you are really about change, about being a part of the revolution, my challenge to you is to hold on to that dream of more to be had, that dream of absolute justice, carry it, protect it, fight for it like it’s the only thing that you can be sure is real in this world. 

So once again, congratulations, and welcome to social consciousness :)

Maxwell Costes