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Welcome to Momentum
A new Medium blog about the fight against anti-Black racism
I’m tired.
At some point during this current, exhausting news cycle, you’ve probably said it. Or had it said to you. We’re tired of what’s happening across the country.
But let’s not confuse fatigue for defeat. Let’s acknowledge the severe toll oppression takes on our mental health, our energy, and our hope. Then? Let’s find a way to move forward.
While today’s protests against police brutality and the systemic racism that breeds it may seem new for some Americans, it’s not new for us. You can estimate someone’s age by asking them which Black people were lynched in their lifetime. Today’s kids will say George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Our generation can say the Rodney King police beating and community uprising of ’92. Others will say Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, and Mike Brown. Our grandparents will say Emmett Till.
Collectively, Momentum, Medium’s blog unpacking anti-Blackness, aims to amplify the voices dedicated to dismantling racism in all of its facets. Every system — from police brutality and anti-Black vigilantism to redlining and colorism — needs to be eradicated, full stop. How do we truly move forward? We confront the problem, examine the systems that form this oppressive society, and use our energy to create a new narrative.
And this work must no longer fall on the shoulders of Black people. It never should have in the first place. Now, it’s time for everyone to pay attention.
Momentum will center the stories about anti-Black racism and pro-Black innovation that have been ignored for far too long. We offer a space for the difficult conversations, but make no mistake: This anthology of curated stories, powerful photos, analysis, and original content will go beyond the White gaze. Instead, you’ll read stories that center those who deal with anti-Blackness every single day.
Momentum is not a place for “how to help” explainers; it’s for the amplification of often-silenced Black voices to help foster a culture that embraces Blackness and exposes anti-Black racism. It’s the only way to finally uncover complex layers and shine a light on systematic racism.
Most importantly, when the streets clear and the cameras shutter, Momentum will not fade away. We’re committed to a long-term conversation about awareness and change so that anti-Blackness is confronted and, with time, wiped away.
This is not a moment. It’s a movement.
— Jada Gomez, Adrienne Samuels Gibbs, and Tracey Ford, editors
