When I say the word Black, I do so with full intention.

I let it bloom on my tongue.

I project its sound into the world, fueling it with all my knowledge of its history. Its struggle, texture, and heart. Most of all, with its power.

The word is not uncomfortable. What is uncomfortable is that making its sound shows where you stand.

And where do you stand?

Do you continue to feel uncomfortable in hopes that this too shall pass?

Or do you instead choose to use that discomfort as a drive to educate yourself – to change your discomfort to confidence?

To equip its sound with your learning. To link it with the injustice of its history. To propel its movement forward for its change.

We loaded our knowledge, learnings, and love into the barrels of our voices last week. We entwined the names, faces, injustices, history, and struggle into the words in our mouths. We aimed for the sky, and simultaneously shot “BLACK LIVES MATTER,” into the air.

We chose where we stand. And the world heard us.