#StopAsianHate Is Our Fight Too
#StopAsianHate is our fight too because the fight is against White supremacy.
We gathered in the living room of our Airbnb, eyes fixed on the screen. It’s a 2021 graduation and while his school is in Florida, we were in Kentucky, with the rest of his peers scattered around the country. The speakers all donned masks with varied levels of outward disdain or pride. It’s Florida. You never know with them. One White face after another graced the stage, and made some generic remarks about success, the future, and how honored they were to usher in another class of leaders. It’s college. They all have the pitch of school pride and lifelong family. We get it. What wasn’t routine was what came next.
They welcomed the class speaker, an Asian-American woman, who took her time coming to the mic. She paused, mask covering her face and stared into the crowd. Most of the previous speakers donned plain black or white face coverings, with a few others attempting to match their regalia. However, this speaker wore a black mask with white lettering; the words were familiar, yet unexpected.
“Black Lives Matter.”
She waited for the audience, both in person and at home to get the message, before speaking. Her speech was inspiring, even for a grumpy and distrusting Black man in his…
