putting my mouth where the money is

Riddle me this friends:
What would you sacrifice, for justice? Would you stand with a proposed boycott until the pleas of the oppressed were met? Would you forego holiday shopping outside of essential items (food, toiletries, gas) to make a point? Would you explain to your children and grandchildren, friends and loved ones, that all the material crap we buy to cloak ourselves in, distract ourselves with, and make us feel cool/comfortable/competitive really, truly, DOES. NOT. MATTER. when people are dying daily at the hands of injustice? Would you explain to them that their not receiving that toy/jewelry/handbag/clothing/electronic item was YOUR WAY of fighting said injustice? Would you stop going to movies, to restaurants, to amusement parks--all forms of entertainment that had nothing to do with justice--until said justice rolled like a river? Would you?

The generations before us in Montgomery, Alabama walked and carpooled to work, school, church, and everywhere else they needed to go for an ENTIRE YEAR. Through all weather, all seasons, every day of the week. Some were fired from their jobs. They found other ones. They banded together to make sure everyone was taken care of. Sure, it was a LOT and I'm sure they were tired as hell by month two, but they were more tired of being treated as if they didn't matter. Yes it was inconvenient, but so was being a second class citizen. And that was only the beginning, but what a beginning it was. The bus companies had no choice but to desegregate, because the bus system was damn near broke from losing the revenue Black people brought it.

Sure, Mike Brown is more Claudette Colvin than Rosa Parks--but it shouldn't matter anymore. For every Mike Brown there's a John Crawford III, whose story doesn't get as much shine. We don't need a mascot, we need a leader. More than a leader, we need the resolve of our forefathers and the courage to stop being placated by bulls#it and material things and start doing what we need to do--talking with our dollars. If we didn't shop outside of essential items--starting NOW thru, say, the summer? These corporations' Q4 budgets would be in SHAMBLES. They would be sending lobbyists up the hill to give us whatever was demanded. The most important color in this country is still GREEN. The question is, are you strong enough to sacrifice? Your baby might be happy about those Jordan's on Christmas day, but think about how you'll feel if you have to bury him in them because he met the bullet of someone who saw him as a threat simply because of his skin.

White people--if you are for justice, your help would be appreciated in this too. Because corporations pay attention faster when y'all start making noise. Hell, look at it this way--it could be a two-for-one: get rid of injustice AND pumpkin spice everything. Win. Win. (Ok, that last one was totally me being selfish--but you know what I'm getting at.) 

So people--seriously--what would you sacrifice? I'm really asking. Because right now, a lot of mothers and fathers are sacrificing their sons. A lot of wives are sacrificing their husbands. A lot of kids are sacrificing their parents. What. Would. You. Sacrifice. For. JUSTICE? 

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