Kollaboration SF x #BlackLivesMatter
Graphic credits: Roland Keng, Kollaboration Atlanta
Black lives matter. They should have mattered at all times, not just when it comes to upholding their safety against police brutality. It should matter on how we consume art and commerce, it should be embedded in our lives. Here at Kollaboration, “We believe that artistry is one of the most effective and inspiring forms of activism, capable of changing hearts and minds to perceive the world as a more inclusive and harmonious place.” However we as Asian-Americans have our own struggle with how we use our silence, as a protection of being harmed. Throughout history, silence is the ongoing weapon that harms the Black community, minimizing their pain and anger. If we Asian-Americans want to share the stage with our Black artists, we have to acknowledge our privileges and be a better ally to Black people.
On April 29, 1992, when a jury acquitted all four officers of assault and acquitted three of the four of using excessive force on Rodney King with their batons 56 times, African Americans were outraged. People forget how important this was, this was the first time in American history that police brutality was recorded on film. To see this video of police brutality being played out on national TV and it still didn’t bring justice, Los Angeles snapped and rioted. America felt blindsighted as to what happened, but African Americans knew this rage would eventually come out. Artists like Ice-T, NWA, and 2pac were trying to expose America to a culture that gets ignored; stricken of Poverty, crime, and police brutality. “Back then we was calling it reality rap,” Ice Cube told Rolling Stone in 2015. “It was the media that called it gangsta rap.” There was pressure from Tipper Gore and the Parents Music Resource Center, to deem their art as “obscene,” forcing the Music Industry to put “Parental Advisory” to single out their message. This sticker was a way to discredit their expression, as Hershal Pandya puts it “rap is not a serious art form, it’s just something we do to piss off our parents.”
We have been complacent. We have too often allowed ourselves to fit into the model minority myth and be used against black people. As Asian Americans, as a community, we have a duty to stand up for what it is right. Now is not the time to continue staying silent. All lives absolutely can not matter until black lives matter. There comes a time when the voices of the marginalized have been shouting for so long that we have to reflect on our biases and address them. Since the history of the United States, black people have been shouting for a better tomorrow and we must now address the very system that has continued to target them. The question is what is different this time around?
This time around, we will listen, make space for them, educate ourselves, and most importantly, stand in solidarity. Which means fighting against anti-blackness in our own communities, in our own homes, and in our own hearts. So here is to a brighter future where young black children do not have to feel fear for jogging, shopping, or simply existing. Here is to a America that changes with the times and dismantles the systemic racism so many of our institutions hold. Here is to a future worth fighting for.
“Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and renders the present inaccessible.” - Maya Angelou
We will be continuing this conversation about Black Lives Matter on our Initiatives Page here with resources, links, and other KollabSF Black Lives Matter content.