“We need each other. Race matters. We need each other.” And each day I learn more about what “Black Lives Matter” means. At its most fundamental, watching George Floyd be choked to death brings home the importance of respect for every life. And it goes so much deeper.

Geraldine and I were part of a candle light vigil in honor of George Floyd in our home community, Greenbelt. The woman who organized this gathering was a white woman who had never organized anything like this in her life. She reminded me of other conversations the last few days with other white people who say: “I’m going to the march. It is my first time.”

We did two things at this candlelight vigil that reminded me what I and other white people can do. We had a chant where we said the name of some of the Black people killed by police related violence in the past few years. We chanted: “Say their names” as the leader called out each name and we repeated it. George Floyd. “Say their names.” Ahmaud Aubrey. “Say their names.” Tony McDaniel.  “Say their names.” Treyvon Martin. “Say their names.” Tamir Rice. “Say their names.” Clementina Pinckney. “Say their names.”

Until recently, these names were not part of my story. An African-American friend in Atlanta mentioned the murder of 25 year-old Ahmaud Aubrey. It was not my fight. I listened empathetically. Then I saw a picture of Ahmaud, dressed in his graduation tuxedo with a huge smile. I thought of my sons. Ahmaud was chased down in a truck and killed while out jogging in his own neighborhood by former policemen carrying guns.

His picture and the video of George Floyd on the ground with the policeman with his knee on his neck and his hand in his pocket made it my fight. Silence is no longer an option. Google each name and read their story. This is our story. We are one and need each other. This is our fight.

The gathering last night ended with drumming and paying attention to the beating of our hearts. The leader  and our neighbor, Katy Gaughan reminded us that when people drum, their hearts beat together with the drum. She asked us to each beat our hearts in time with the drums. We were reminded that we all have the same heart. A heart that beats and invites us all to love every heart the way we love ourselves and our families.

This post was first published on June 7, 2020.