When I woke up this morning I was hoping it was all a dream.
But then I felt the dried tears on my cheek.
My female tears.
My Muslim tears.
My immigrant tears.
My tears of color.
I feel grief and sadness more than I knew I could. I know now what the feeling of having a heavy heart is.
I grew up in Alabama, surrounded by people who, while politely coexisting with me, truly believed in their hearts that America was a place, first and foremost, for people like them.
I got through that experience due to the belief that humanity was better than that, that people in general are good. The belief that if you work hard, do your homework, and treat people decently, you can overcome those barriers. These beliefs have now been smashed into two hundred and seventy pieces.
Now all I ask of you is two things:
1. Be kind to one another. Show basic human decency to your neighbor and rival. Give us time to cope. Some of us are feeling true fear for ourselves and our families.
2. Do not forget this. Do not push this aside as a fluke or just usual politics. This matters and will change the direction of this country. Turn your grief into action.
