Let's Talk About Race: I'm Fine, but I Worry

A friend of mine (who I won't embarrass by naming) sent me the following message:

"Just checking in on you during all of this craziness. I know my black family is not okay and I just wanted to reach out and say I love you. I can't imagine how emotionally exhausted you are, so no need to respond. Just wanted to send my love and support."

I always knew she was great, but with that message, she took greatness to another level. Wow. Other friends have reached out as well, and each one really touches me. Here is a (somewhat extended) response. It's a little longer than the message I initially replied with, but it's still totally inadequate.

I'm lucky that I have a ton of work to keep me busy, my kids are right here in my house, and I live in a community that is diverse and open and just generally amazing. This is a time when Reston really shines as a beacon of what communities should be.

I am totally fine, but I worry. 

I worry for my nieces and nephew. They are smart, successful 20- and 30-something young adults who were lucky to be born into educated, financially stable families, but they will still face injustices because of the color of their skin and who they love.

I worry about when my kids leave the protection of our home. In August, Boy Kid will head down I-81, past a massive confederate flag that flies about 30 minutes from campus, and live in an apartment that is far from us geographically and socially. His sophomore year at college will be fine, but I still worry.

I worry for all the young black and brown people who are constantly at risk and in fear. George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor weren't the first, and they won't be the last.

I worry about all the black and brown people who have poor healthcare, poor schools, and limited economic mobility because of a system that was actively rigged against their parents and grandparents, and is now more passively (though no less effectively) rigged against them.

Though I could get lost in the worry, I choose to focus on using this opportunity to help people understand, and to prod them to rise up in November. Protests are important, but voting is even more important.