George Floyd was one of us.
We never met him, never even knew of him before May 25. But he was one of us.
Like so many others, those of us at the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank are heartbroken for George Floyd’s family and community and for what his brutal death says about the searing pain of racism in our country and in our own communities.
We see in George Floyd many of our own neighbors. Men and women, children and grandparents, struggling against injustice and inequity day in and day out. People who are dismissed and discriminated against, who are shunted to the side and marginalized. People who turn to us and our community partners in humility and gratitude just to feed their families.
In the aftermath of his death, we have witnessed an outpouring of anguish and anger—and, at the same time, an outpouring of love and compassion. Sheriffs joining peaceful protests, volunteers cleaning up damaged storefronts, and people of all ages and backgrounds and in every corner of the world posting messages of hope on social media.
In every one of these acts of unity, we see you, our own volunteers and donors who regard each neighbor in need as one of their own.
We’re not activists at the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. But we are advocates. And we believe that in this moment, each of us has a choice to make. We can choose to stand up for equality and justice, to stand up for George, or to ignore the hate, ignorance, and racism that took his life.
George Floyd was one of us. We choose to stand up for him and for every person of color in the communities we serve. We see you. We hear you. We’re with you.
Michael McKee is the Chief Executive Officer of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank.