June 16, 2020
PHOTO CREDIT: BRIAN HIOE
It has been an emotional and trying time for the world over the past few weeks. We all know about the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. Weāve seen the protests and riots that followed. We are engulfed in the social media feeds and neverending news cycle of information and misinformation. We SHOULD know about the countless injustices subjected to people of color not only in the United States but around the world. None of this is new.
But what will it take for change? Will the petitions, donations, protests, and riots lead to a significant change to the structures and systems that created these issues? We can hope. One thing is for certainā¦change wonāt come overnight. Racism and prejudice arenāt going away, but we can take small steps toward that goal. We all need to listen, learn, discuss, and act in solidarity.
Talk to someoneā¦anyone
About a week ago, a 6-year-old student of mine mentions that there is āthereās a big store in New York with people inside breaking things and taking thingsā. Her father showed her the news and explained what was going on in America. What followed was a short discussion (in 2nd-language-6-year-old English) on why they were doing these things. I was amazed at the amount of understanding and empathy she had for a group of people on the other side of the world.
Recently, I told her mother about our conversation. I thanked her and encouraged future discussions about this nature. This little girl is growing up in a world that is changing every day. She might not fully understand the situation right now, but these little LEGO blocks of information will hopefully build a person that thinks and acts based on compassion and love.
Listen and Learn
There was an event here organized by Taipei is Listening and Black Lives Matter Taiwan. This was a community forum where the attendees broke into smaller groups to engage in discussion. The turnout was amazing. The organizers had to change to a bigger venue after the initial response. It was great to see the diverse community in Taipei. In my group alone, there were people from Cameroon, Algeria, Morocco, Canada, Haiti, Paraguay, and of course Taiwan. You realize that the systemic issues underlying racism is a global problem affecting everyone.
PHOTO CREDIT: @TAIPEIISLISTENING
Just this past weekend, the organization held a Solidarity Rally at 228 Memorial Park. The event sought to raise further awareness for the issues of systemic racism around the world and show solidarity for discriminated groups. Taiwan has similar parallels in its history being under martial law after the KMT took over after escaping China. More recently, the government has seen its own criticism over the treatment of migrant workers mostly from Southeast Asia. Taiwanās indigenous groups have also faced prejudice in many aspects of life. Thatās not to mention the inherent racism faced by black people in much of Asia based on ignorance and lack of education. Iām trying not to generalize this whole section of the world. But itās quite telling that something like this is still sold in only Asian countries where the logo is not found to be offensive (this product is owned by US-based Colgate-Palmolive).
Read and Watch
Campaign Zero is a platform centered on the actionable solutions for police reform. Police brutality, especially towards people of color, is whatās on everyoneās minds and screens right now. Campaign Zero proposes comprehensive solutions to ending police brutality in such areas as Community Oversight, Training, and Demilitarization, among others.
Police brutality is only a symptom of the deeply rooted systemic issues of racism. These are only small steps. However, these are necessary steps that show a path forward.
Just Mercy is a book and movie of the same name. It tells the true story of Bryan Stevenson, an African-American attorney who goes to Alabama in 1989 to found the Equal Justice Initiative. The group helps provide legal representation to prisoners who may have been wrongly convicted of crimes, poor prisoners without effective representation, and others who may have been denied a fair trial. It guarantees the defense of anyone in Alabama in a death penalty case. (āEqual Justice Initiativeā n.d.)
Itās available for free for the month of June on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, and other platforms. I would also recommend watching ā13thā which is a documentary about systemic racism and racial inequality that was a result of the 13th Amendment (which abolished slavery!). Itās available for free on Youtube.
Links and Articles:
1. Redeem Chase Ultimate Reward points for 1.5 cents with Sapphire Reserve
Chase has introduced a new way to redeem UR points for Sapphire cardholders. I break down all the new benefits that they have introduced this year in response to the coronavirus.
2. Marriott Bonvoy is offering off-peak promos at 5500 hotels
Through the end of June, you can book award stays at off-peak redemption prices if for stays through July 31. We can question the safety and reliability of staying at hotels during this time. But I really have to question why there are so many hotels in the first place. And these are only Marriott!
3. Whatās it like to fly right now?
Writers from The Points Guy explain the experience of flying during the pandemic.
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