Torture—unlike abuse, which is often spontaneous and unintentional, though still scarring—is premeditated. It is designed to methodically dismantle a person’s identity and humanity. To destroy safety. To diminish hope for connection and belonging.
By this definition, our country has deliberately legislated, legalized, and tolerated the systematic torture and terror of our Black brothers and sisters.
When the very people entrusted to protect are also empowered to harm, that is terrorism. Lawmakers. Government officials. Judges. Police officers. Prison guards. Systems, not accidents.
Patrisse Khan-Cullors articulated this definition of torture, illuminating what has been designed and prescribed—especially for the poorest and most vulnerable Black people in this country. Naming it clearly matters.
I will continue learning from human rights activists of color. Unlearning racism is a necessary layer of my spiritual recovery. I have revisited White Fragility and The New Jim Crow, and am finishing When They Call You a Terrorist. Each one expands my understanding of what was intentionally hidden, minimized, or denied.
Learning is a responsibility.
What are you doing to learn more about and support anti-racism? Or choosing not to?
