The Coronacation Diaries, Episode 55

#runwithmaud is not enough

Today, I ran with Ahmaud Arbery. I ran with Ahmaud because his family asked us to. I ran with Ahmaud because I needed to do something, say something, and running is how I sort my thoughts. I ran with Ahmaud because never once have I felt unsafe as a runner. As a white woman, I can run through any neighborhood near my home, at any time of day or night, and know that no one is going to murder me because of the color of my skin. 

I have run in Washington DC. I have run in Denver. I have run in Seattle, in Spokane, in Chicago, in Detroit. I've run in Florida and Kentucky and Texas. No matter where I am, I run. And no one has ever run after me, waving a gun.

I ran with Ahmaud because my friends of color need to know, now more than ever, that I am an ally and I will run with them, beside them, no matter where we are.

I ran with Ahmaud because my contacts on social media need to know where I stand. I need to make it clear: I stand with Ahmaud. There will be no debate.

But it is not enough. It is not enough for white people to go for a short run, take a selfie, and hashtag it on Instagram. It is not nearly enough. 

It is not enough for us to give lip service to demanding change. A hashtag, a photo, a petition signed: these are meaningless if we do not also act. 

We cannot allow ourselves to feel like we did something meaningful, just because we went for a run. 

Posting a photo on social media does not provoke change. 

Signing a petition does not provoke change.

Sharing a Facebook post, no matter how profound, does not provoke change.

We cannot just virtually run with Ahmaud. We have to physically be there. Next to him. With him. With every person of color. We have to confront our own racism, our own discomfort, our own prejudice, our own privilege. 

We have to run circles around those who continue to perpetuate hatred and violence, and then we have to run them the fuck out of town.

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