Stopping to Smell the Roses

Today I took a walk. To my left--open grass full of lunch-goers, small children climbing the fountain, and sections of flowers running over with vibrant colors and the smell of spring. To my right-- seven homeless people, six of which were men, and all of whom were BLACK.

After some surface level research, the fact sheet that I can give you about homelessness in D.C. is that overall, homelessness is decreasing in the U.S., men are a huge portion of the population, and many of them are black. I would wholeheartedly say this does not shock me. There are a lot of things that need to be done in order to address this issue in terms of policy and resources. I love to throw my sorrows on the government just as much as any other American, but I must admit that there are already things being done! However, as I continue my day, I start to think that there is something more to this issue. There are more things to be said, and encouraged, and done...by you and me.

Later that day, a young black man who appeared to be in his early twenties ask me and my friend for cash. Thinking back to my walk earlier, I grabbed the wad of bills in my pocket without hesitation. To my surprise, he asked for more money, but I can’t really blame him. As I broke into a selfish spree of jokes about him being ungrateful, I hear, “When I do that [give money], I usually try to learn one thing about them. It gives you invested interest.”

Could you imagine the change in culture if each of us not only gave a dollar, but also a listening ear. I THINK I’ve found my small and impactful way to be my brother’s keeper.

If you are a privileged non-person of color looking for your golden ticket to ending racism, I challenge you. If you are a person of color wondering what is your stance about race in America, I challenge you. Are you a black man in America who without choice took the vow to be your brother’s keeper, I challenge you.

The next time you are traveling through the garden of bliss, stop to smell the roses. You might be suprised.

#Roses #Homelessness #DC #garden