I, Too, 9/11

As a 30 year old, unapologetically black Afro-Latino from Brooklyn, I am well aware that this Sunday on 9/11 two symbolic reflections are on a collision course. Reflecting on the events of that tragic morning 15 years ago while also reflecting on tragic events of the last 400+ years are not mutually exclusive. Both symbols are birthed from a place of deep pain, immense despair, and a conscious understanding that more progress needs to be achieved to honor the lives of those who have been taken from us. While seemingly idealistic, these principles are the fundamental bedrock of by which this nation governs itself. So when the anthem begins to play, whether you silently take a knee in spirit, silently take a stand to reflect on the 3K+ lives that were lost that day, or both; understand that we need to support the cry of one another's hearts: freedom.