This is a time of action and upheaval to ensure that Black lives and the many identities and experiences that exist, especially Black LGBTQ+ identities, are prioritized with the utmost respect and grace. It’s beyond maddening that Black death in the form of a public lynching is necessary to show others the true reality of this country, but we can honor those who have passed by making sure their existence is not forgotten through tangible change or the removal of certain institutions. As a result, this is not a time for respectability, peace, or compromise. Our ancestors before us have gone through too much for us to settle for less.

As a community, we must challenge ourselves to find our role in this particular moment and the many opportunities to come. If you have the means or ability, you can always support organizations financially, amplify voices speaking out, have conversations with friends and family who need to be educated about racism, hold government officials accountable, or attend a protest. This moment will only be what it needs if community organizers and the people who are on the front lines and have already taken action against systemic racism are joined by others who have been complicit in the harms this country is enacted. Together, another world is possible.