Don’t invite me to your vigil. When we were mourning the death of Trayvon Martin it was appropriate. By the time we got to Michael Brown’s death, I was over vigils without action behind them. Now I think they’re a waste of time.
It’s not a waste to mourn the death of those we love. It’s not a waste to remember the lives of people who were the victims of senseless crimes. It’s necessary to grieve and feel and rejuvenate ourselves. In this sense, vigils are necessary and healing. I in no way am belittling the deaths of innocent victims of state-sponsored or vigilante violence. Those lives should be remembered and celebrated.

But since a vigil never stopped the next death, I’m gonna have to pass on your lip service to the movement. Far too many people show up to vigils and not community action meetings and I think it’s past time we start doing our part to build the world we claim to want on social media.

It’s time for action. It’s always been time for action. So no, I won’t come to your vigil. There is work to be done. And if we’re successful then maybe, we won’t need more vigils.