Juneteenth Playlist

Say it Loud (I’m Black and I’m Proud) by James Brown

One Man Can Change the World by Big Sean

This is America by Childish Gambino

Rhythm Nation by Janet Jackson

The Story of O.J. By Jay-Z

Blood On the Leaves by Kanye West

Alright by Kendrick Lamar

All the Stars by Kendrick Lamar and SZA

Pray For Me by The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar

Hard Time Hustlin by Krayzie Bone

They Don’t Care About Us by Michael Jackson

Earth Song by Michael Jackson

Hello (feat. Dr. Dre & MC Ren) by Ice Cube

F***k tha Police by N.W.A

Fight the Power by Public Enemy

911 Is a Joke by Public Enemy

Can’t Trust It by Public Enemy

Don’t Believe the Hype by Public Enemy

Crazy by Seal

Désolé by Sexion D’Assaut

Prison pour mineurs by HATIK

Living in America by James Brown

Keep Ya Head Up by 2Pac

Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holla) by Marvin Gaye

Have any other ideas? Let us know in the comments! Happy Juneteenth!

Juneteenth is the Nineteenth: So What You Doin’?

   It’s that time of year again, everyone! No, it’s not Christmas. So do not look for a chubby white man to come down your chimney and give you a new bike or an extra paycheck. No, it’s not Cinco de Mayo. So do not grab your culturally appropriated sombreros and head to the nearest bar for five-dollar tequila shots. And no, it’s not Halloween either. So, do not go around looking for people to give you free shit. However, two things that are always free and worthwhile are awareness and knowledge. On June 19th, America will celebrate Juneteenth. Juneteenth?? What is Juneteenth? Is that a rap album? No, it’s not a rap album. However, if you would like to know more, keep reading.

What is Juneteenth?

Juneteenth or Emancipation Day celebrates the end of slavery for African Americans. On June 19, 1863, troops in Galveston, Texas seized control of the state and demanded that all slaves become free. For now, we'll ignore the fact that this event did not occur until two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. We'll ignore the fact that the Emancipation Proclamation was a war tactic to piss off white southerners by only freeing slaves in Confederate states. Plus, forget about the fact that Lincoln “[was] not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and Black races.” Juneteenth is considered the longest-running African American holiday. Even though African Americans still had a lot to fight for back then, and even now, Juneteenth was a step forward. 

Cultural Significance

Although originally Juneteenth was about the liberation of African American slaves, what significance does it have today? Many people use this day to celebrate the achievements and the contributions that blacks have given to American society. Whether its' through music, science, or health, this is a day to inspire the community and many others beyond. Even though African Americans may have freedom in a legal sense, as a community, we still have not reached the mountaintop. From fighting for our lives and humanity through the Black Lives Matter protests to fighting to implement critical race theory into the American education system, we are still walking on the road to true freedom, liberation, and equality. 

How to Celebrate Juneteenth

As our newest federal holiday, it can be tempting to take Juneteenth as an opportunity to have a cookout, attend a baseball game, go fishing, visit a rodeo, or participate in a dance. However, they are other ways to celebrate Juneteenth while supporting the community as well. 

Here are some ways below:

Support a black-owned business: Get your hair done at a black salon or a black barbershop. Order food from a black-owned restaurant. Buy gifts or clothes from a black-owned boutique. Every dollar counts and certainly helps.

Support the cause: attend a protest. Sign petitions. Donate to organizations like Black Lives Matter and the Marsha P. Johnson Institute. So, get out there and show your support today!

Educate Yourself: Although Juneteenth ended slavery in 1863, racism and many other forms of inequality towards African Americans are still alive and well today. So, educate yourself by reading books such as “White Tears Brown Scars” by Ruby Hamad, “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness” by Michelle Alexander, and; “White Fragility” by Robin DiAngelo. Watch movies with black leads or check out documentaries like “13th” to help yourself learn about these issues.

In closing, make sure to check out our special Juneteenth playlists as well. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Happy Juneteenth!

Who Made You An Expert?

Dr. Anthony Fauci, Jean-Claude Chauvin, and Syukuro Manabe. All of these people are considered pundits or experts in their careers/respective industries. They have PhD, wrote books, have done seminars, been on tv, and have done all types of shit. But the question is: How does one become an expert on something? Who determines the standard for how one becomes an expert? And, is an expert determined by social stratification (i.e racism, classism, sexism, etc). Let’s delve into and find out. 

What is an expert? 

According to the Cambridge English Dictionary, an expert is a “a person having a high level of knowledge or skill in a particular subject.” As stated in the Merriam Webster Dictionary, a person who is considered an expert “[has], [involves] or [displays] special skill or knowledge derived from training or experience.” The key words here are “training” and “experience.” With that being said, based on that definition, as long as one has training or experience in something, technically they can be considered an expert. So since when did somebody need to have 4 PhDs, written 8 books, and a podcast to be an expert? Because last time I checked, there’s people who have plenty of influence and a large following who have significantly less than that. I mean, look at our last president. He had no political experience whatsoever and he has a following like a cult. But, I digress.

With all this information in mind, is it possible that the process society uses to deem one as an expert could potentially be biased? If I told you that you were going to a seminar that was led by an expert in astrophysics, what do you think the expert would look like? Would they be a man or a woman? What race would they be? Would they be an American? Would they have been educated at Stanford or University of Phoenix? Would they wear glasses and a white lab coat? Or would they just be wearing jeans and a t-shirt? Got an idea, yet? Good. So whatever image came into your head, think about how your mind created that image? What does this image mean and what does it tell you? More importantly, what potential biases might it tell you? 

Does an expert have to be a man? Could it be a black man or a Native American woman? Could it be someone who speaks with a Non-European accent? Could it be someone without a university degree? Think about it and I’ll let you decide. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. 

Is Language Racist? Culture and Foreign Language Education

What’s up, everybody? Vs. Hello, everyone. Merci mingi vs. Merci beaucoup. Que guay vs. que padre! In all of these respective languages, the phrases mean to communicate the same message. But, it is just a different way of saying it. If the message is the same, should it matter how it was said or who said it? No, probably not. However, that is not how the world is today. We live in a world where language is a reflection of culture. More often than not, language is used as a tool to either oppress or uplift a community. Depending on a history, one might have been uplifted or oppressed. With that being said, how is a language used as a catalyst to create privilege for one group and cause detriment to another? Let’s dive into it. 

One would think that a language is standard and that everyone speaks the same way. But that’s not true. In a lot of places, there are a lot of different dialects. Sometimes, some dialects are more preferred than others. But, the question is: how does all this lead to racism or potential cultural bias? Allow me to explain with a little story about myself. 

When I was in university, I was working on my minor in French. I have been studying the French language since I was in the 2nd grade, so grammar-wise, none of the information was new to me. However, the microaggressions and bias were. I had a classmate, named *Lila,* who was from Benin. In a lot of countries in Africa, including Benin, French is the official language. With that being said, Lila was a native speaker of the language. Her French was excellent, of course. But according to our middle-aged white female professor, Lila did not speak French “articulately, was a horrible writer, and needed training from her to become better.” How is this possible? Lila was a native speaker. Quite frankly, Lila probably knew more French than our American professor. However, because they spoke a different dialect of French in Benin, Lila's French wasn’t “proper” or “respectable” enough. So, our professor, going into white savior mode, thought she was helping Lila by exposing her to France French. Because somehow that would make Lila more presentable and respected in the francophone community. 

Another classmate of mine, her name was *Annie*, was from Belgium, another francophone country. She was a native speaker as well. From my observations in class, she did not receive the same vitriol and commentary from our professor that Lila received. 

Growing up, as a young French student, I didn’t learn that they were non-European countries that spoke French until I was in high school which is very sad. There was an entire community of francophone cultures and dialects that was erased from my education because the school system seems to favor European culture over any other culture. In school, I learned about the history of the Eiffel Tower and l’Arc de Triomphe instead of the Carnival festival in Haiti. My teachers would go on about how amazing baguettes and croissants (which they are, don’t get me wrong). However, they mentioned nothing about Alloco from the Ivory Coast or Ravitoto from Madagascar. Lastly, my teachers always raved about how great it was that so many people around the world spoke French. But, they never mentioned why that is due to France's brutal history of colonization. 

To take it a step further, think about the foreign languages that are available to study in our education system. Up until recently, students could take German, French, and Spanish. Now, German is beginning to be phased out in favor of Mandarin Chinese. Believe it or not, many schools still offer Latin as a foreign language even though it’s a dead language. Dead language meaning that it is no longer used in everyday communication. According to the Lingoda Online Language School, more people speak Hindi than French and Spanish. Furthermore, although more people speak French and Spanish, Arabic only slightly trails behind with over 274 million speakers while French has 280 million. Lastly, the Japanese have about 128 million speakers. With all that in mind, why does the American education system put such an emphasis on learning European languages when Asian, Latin American, and African languages have just as many if not more speakers than European languages? So much so that our education system would rather have American students learn a dead language rather than a language where millions of people speak it, read it, and write it every day. As a society, we’re putting more value on one language and culture over another. 

Not only does this mentality prevail in the American education system and the Francophone community, but it happens in the American English-speaking community as well. If you identify as African-American, raise your hand if you’ve ever been told or it has been implied to you that because you do not speak like the rappers on television that you are “articulate.” In other words, because you do not utilize slang” or other variations of African American vernacular English (AAVE), that you are “articulate” and “not like the others?” I’m raising both hands and both legs. In that way, our education system and the people in our society consciously (or subconsciously) put more value and respectability on one dialect than the other. At face value, language is just language. Of course, it evolves. However, it becomes dangerous when people start to utilize it to create a system of oppression with it. 

What do you all think? Does anybody have similar stories? Let me know what you think in the comments. 

8 Ways to Be a Good Ally

TRIGGER WARNING!!! IT’S ABOUT TO GET SOCIAL JUSTICEY IN HERE GUYS! So hold on to your weaves, wigs, caramel macchiato from Starbucks, turn off your Fox News, and grab a cup of white people's tears because, in today's post, we’re going to talk about allies. What is an ally you might ask? According to Sheree Atcheson, award-winning global diversity, equity, and inclusion leader and contributor at Forbes Magazine, an ally is defined as someone who “actively promotes and aspires to advance the culture of inclusion through intentional, positive, and conscious efforts that benefit people as a whole.” In other words, an ally is somebody who goes out of their way to include the kid who sits by themself every day at the popular kid table so they do not feel excluded. You still there? Good! For those of us who are still reading, because they haven’t been sucked into their perceived victimhood or haven't been made uncomfortable due to their high levels of fragility, you may be wondering: how can I be a good ally to marginalized communities or people who may have the same privileges as me? Well, that’s why I am here. Here are 10 ways people can be an ally:

Number 1: Do Your Damn Research!

No! By doing your research, I do not mean going to ask your token non-white, LGBTQ+, Muslim, female, or physically or mentally disabled friend to explain to you the plight of their entire marginalized community. You might be thinking, why not go straight to the source? But guess what, DON’T. This is problematic because 1) you are making your token friend the voice of their entire community which is wrong. Marginalized groups are not a monolith, so everyone has different experiences and opinions. And 2) that puts pressure on your token friend to educate you which is incredibly exhausting and completely unfair to your friend who is a part of a marginalized community. So, my point is: if you can go on your phone to buy something from Amazon, you can research statistics on the gender pay gap. If you have time to make a Tik Tok or make an Instagram post, you have time to research the School to Prison Pipeline. If you can order DoorDash off your phone, you can research gender identity and the meaning of utilizing proper nouns. I’m just saying.

Number 2: Shut Up and Listen!

Raise your hand if you are a part of a marginalized community and somebody who is a part of a privileged community tried to tell how you should feel, how you should have responded, attempted to recount your experience, or tried to relate to you by telling a completely irrelevant story? I’m not raising one hand, but two hands. Because I have experienced all of the above. Now, you might be thinking by adding your opinion, you are “playing devil’s advocate,” “trying to get the other person to see another perspective,” show them what their experiencing is just unique to that community, or by trying to relate to them, that you are trying to help. Well, guess what you are not. If anything, you are just pissing people off and making people further not trust you. Think of it this way: remember when someone told you that something you were experiencing was “not that bad" or "it could’ve been worse?” It was infuriating and very invalidating wasn’t it? That’s how people of marginalized communities feel when you do not listen to them. So, as a suggestion, if I were you, if a person of a marginalized community is coming to you to share about an experience that they had, just ZIP YOUR LIPS. Thank you.

Number 3: Don’t Be A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing

Yeah, I said it. Do not pretend to be something that you are not. Posting a black square on Instagram isn’t enough. Putting the rainbow flag over your social media picture isn’t enough. Basically, none of this stuff means anything unless you are doing real-life work that actually manifests into something. Being a good ally is so much more than a menial social media post. Sure, it looks good to the general public or people who may not know you. But, what are you REALLY doing behind the scenes? *Insert side eye* Do you say the N-word when listening to rap songs? Do you avoid hugs or showing feelings towards other men so people don't think you are gay? As the old saying goes, whatever happens in the dark always comes into the light. So watch what you do.

Number 4: Call Out People In Your Social Circles

Remember that time your Uncle Dale said the N-word at Thanksgiving dinner? Or when your friend Ryan said, “why can Mexicans jump so high? Because they’re used to jumping the border” and you thought it was hilarious? Tisk, tisk. I’m not impressed with you. The point is, silence is compliance. To be a good ally, one has to call out their friends and family for their problematic behavior. Even if it means losing a friend or becoming isolated by some family members. As a person of privilege, you have access to things people of marginalized communities do not. Not only that, your actions and words have more influence over the general population. I’m not saying that your Uncle Dale has to catch these at this year’s Thanksgiving dinner in the name of social justice and inclusion. But, you can let him know gently that his words are hurtful and have real-world implications.

Number 5: Get Uncomfortable

Yes, change can be scary. Especially when we are comfortable and might even benefit from the status quo. However, by being complicit in the status quo, you are prioritizing your own comfort at the expense of others and that is not what a good ally does. With that being said, it is time for you to step out of your comfort zone and start to point out how discriminatory systems privilege one and group disadvantage another. 

Number 6: We All Make Mistakes

That time that you referred to your black female coworker as “sis” probably did not go over well. Or that time you addressed a group of Latinx people in your meeting as the “amigos” definitely earned you some side-eyes. Or, that time when you said your female lab partner was “good at math for a girl” in your college chemistry class probably earned you the title “Class Douche” without you even knowing it. The point is, we all make mistakes. Becoming a true ally requires trial and error.  To be a good ally, one must actively recognize their mistakes and learn from them. You do not want to be the next Karen who goes on “Good Morning, America'' trying to justify what you said, what you did, and that you’re not prejudiced. Trust me, it’s not a good look. #NotCute.

Number 7: Promote The Voices of Marginalized Communities

According to CBS, only 3.2% of executive jobs belong to African Americans. Only 1% of the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies are black. According to the 2020 Hollywood Diversity Report, 91% of top-level positions are held by white people and 80% of those people are men. These statistics are just a small piece that shows unique and intersectional barriers that marginalized communities face getting their voices and stories heard. So, it's not enough to say that you feel bad and guilty about your privilege anymore. It’s time to act. The next time your boss asks for a recommendation on someone to promote, look to someone who is a part of a marginalized community. Recommend more books written by women and minorities at your local book fair. This is just a start, but there are many ways to use your own privilege to amplify the voices of disadvantaged peoples. 

Number 8: Get Out There!

Join affinity groups and attend the meetings on campus at your university. Mentor employees from marginalized communities at your job. Attend rallies and protests. Put your money where your mouth is and donate to organizations that promote social justice and assist marginalized communities. The point is, get out there and show that your words match your actions. 

This list is definitely not comprehensive, but it is a start for those who want to make a difference in society. What other traits make someone a good ally? Let me know what you all think in the comments.

10 Books Written By Minority Women

Catcher in the Rye. Pride and the Prejudice. Death of a Salesman. Had any flashbacks yet? I did. I remember sitting in 10th grade English class waiting for vultures to gauge my eyes out as my teacher and my classmates passionately discussed how Darcy was the best suitor for Elizabeth. Or how depressed Willy became throughout the book. Now that our trip down memory lane has ended and we are back into reality, I have one question: What do all these stories have in common? They are all about white people and various facets of whiteness. Whether it was about the complexity of marriageability politics or how suburban (white) people get lost in the concept of meritocracy, the mayonnaise and the overall lack of flavor in these stories is too high. Sorry, Mr. or Mrs. White ,(or insert any other stereotypical/ generic white last name). Sitting there twiddling my thumbs and waiting for a rich man to marry me or complaining about how terrible the luxuries of life were from a prestigious boarding school is not exactly how my life as a teenage black girl went. Let alone any non-white, cis-gendered, Christian, heterosexual, able-bodied, teenage girl's life went. 

But that is why your girl Cameron is here: to bring more flavor and spice to your life by introducing 10 books not only about POC girls but written by POC women as well. Let’s get started.

Number 1:  Copper Sun by Sharon M. Draper

Sharon’s Draper’s historical fiction novel “Cooper Sun’s” focuses on two young girls named Amari and Polly. Amari is a 15-year-old African girl who was captured and sold into slavery. The book documents her journey through the Middle Passage and her experiences on her plantation. While on the plantation, Amari meets Polly, a white 15-year-old indentured servant with whom she forms an unlikely friendship. In each chapter, the narrator alternates between Amari and Polly. Grab a tissue box because this book will cause some tears but it will give you the perspective of hardships that black slaves, particularly black slave women had to endure. 

Number 2: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Yaa Gyasi’s historical fiction novel “Homegoing” traces the lineage of two Ghanaian half-sisters named Effia and Esi. The story follows the lives and the families of the two sisters as Effia, marries a rich and white English man who she lives with in Cape Coast Castle. While the other sister, Esi, gets sold into American slavery.  By following the journeys of the descendants of these two women, the readers get an acute and nuanced look into the complexity of slavery and how the legacy of slavery has impacted the experience of the African diaspora. 

Number 3: Love from A to Z by S.K Ali 

Terrorist. Criminals. Violent. Zayneb, a teenage Muslim Pakistani girl has heard it all. And quite frankly, she is tired of it. So much so that she confronts her teacher for constantly reminding her and her classmates that Muslims are “bad.” Due to her altercation with her teacher, she ends up getting suspended and out of retaliation, her teacher starts to investigate her other Muslim friends. Disappointed that her altercation with her teacher resulted in not only her getting in trouble, but her friends as well, she goes to Qatar to visit her aunt. While spending time with her aunt, Zayneb hopes that she can reinvent herself by becoming a “nicer” version of herself. However, during this process, she meets Adam, a boy of Chinese Muslim descent who was recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Although they met by chance, Adam and Zayneb learn from each other in this tale of romance and identity through self-discovery. 

Number 4: Kira Kira by Cynthia Kadohata

In Cynthia Kadohata’s novel “Kira Kira,” she shares the story of 12-year- old Japanese American, Katie Takeshima, living in Iowa during the 1950s. Their family owns a Japanese supermarket, and it goes out of business. So, Katie and her family move to Georgia to start a new life. The story follows Katie as she navigates her new life in Georgia with the help of her sister, Lynn. However, when Lynn suddenly falls ill, her world is turned upside down. Through overcoming obstacles such as racial discrimination and navigating two cultures, the reader gets to embark on Katie’s coming age of story in a realistic, honest, and impactful way. 

Number 5: In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Bao Lord

In this short novel, it centers around a young Chinese girl named Shirley Temple Wong who recently immigrated to Brooklyn, New York with her family in the late 1940s. Not knowing any English, Shirley finds herself having trouble making friends. However, all that changes when she discovers baseball superstar, Jackie Robinson. Inspired by Jackie Robinson’s relentless determination, Shirley decides to break down racial barriers and assumptions in her own life. Not only is this a great coming of age story, but it also is a way to show people they can do things against all the odds.

Number 6: I Can Make This Promise by Christine Day

This biographical novel centers around Edie, a 12-year-old Native American girl who was adopted by a white family. Knowing little to nothing about her own cultural identity, this book follows Edie’s journey learning about Native American history, the reality of adoption, adolescence, and understanding one’s cultural identity. 

Number 7: Soldier Sister, Fly Home by Nancy Bo Flood

A “Soldier Sister, Fly Home” centers around 13-year-old Tess, who is part white and part Navajo. At school, she is “too Indian” to be considered cool amongst her classmates. Outside of school on her reservation, she is considered” too white” which leads her to constantly feeling like an outsider wherever she goes. This story follows Tess’s journey on cultural identity and racial tension through self-discovery. 

Number 8: Little and Lion by Brandy Colbert

“Little and Lion” follows the story of a young black girl named Suzette, who just returned home to L.A from a boarding school in Massachusetts. She is unsure of whether she wants to stay in L.A. with her family, friends, her crush Emil, and her step-brother Lionel; who was just diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Or return to Massachusetts to be with her secret girlfriend. As she spends time with Lionel, she realizes that they are falling in love with the same girl. Meanwhile, Lionels' bipolar disorder is worsening. This incredible novel touches on bullying, sexuality, and mental health while pulling on your heartstrings. 

Number 9: I Am Not Your Mexican Daughter by Erica Sanchez 

According to teenager Julia, she is not the perfect Mexican daughter. Unlike her sister Olga, Julia wants to move away from her family after completing high school and she dreams of attending college to become a writer. However, due to a tragic accident, Olga is killed and leaves her family shattered. In the aftermath of Olga’s death, Julia starts to slowly figure out that her sister wasn’t as perfect as people like to believe. Throughout this book, readers will get to embark on a tale about family, secrets, and immigrant cultural identity through the lens of Julia.

Number 10: Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan 

Set in California and Mexico during the Great Depression, “Esperanza Rising” tells the story of a young Mexican girl named Esperanza. At the beginning of the novel, she enjoys a life of luxury living in a mansion full of servants and her loving family in Mexico. All of that comes to halt when her father is suddenly murdered by a group of bandits. To make matters worse, all of their family’s property is left to her uncle, Luis, and not her own family. Esperanza and her mother soon figure out that Luis is not the nicest man in the world. So, they escape to California along with some of her servants while leaving behind her beloved grandmother, Abuelita. Esperanza and her mother try to make due while living in a run-down Mexican labor camp in California. Esperanza and her mother hope that one day they will reunite with Abuelita. Through the lens of Esperanza, readers get to learn more about the intersections of race, class, and even grief in this stunning novel.

So are you ready to go to Barnes & Nobles yet? I am. Go ahead and get your copies today. Let me know what you all think of these books in the comments.

A Sigh of Relief, But Not a Breath of Fresh Air

It’s 4:30 pm. The sun is shining and I just ate my dinner. But, on this seemingly peaceful spring evening, I can’t help but feel a pang of anxiety. According to CBS News, the Minnesota Judicial Court was moments away from announcing the verdict of the Derek Chauvin trial; the man who mercilessly murdered George Floyd, an African American man accused of trying to pay for something with a counterfeit $20 bill, by kneeling on his neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds. 

Leading up to this moment, to be quite frank, I felt nothing at all. Not that I’m an emotionless robot or amoeba. But, if history were going to repeat itself, the jurors in Minnesota were going to pull a “To Kill A Mockingbird” and Derek Chauvin was going to get off and get out of this entire situation unscathed. So, in other words, I was preparing for the worst. However, for once, America proved me wrong in a good way.

Guilty on the account of second-degree murder. Guilty on the account of third-degree murder. And guilty on the account of second-degree manslaughter. 

A white man, guilty on all accounts for the murder of a black man? I thought the day would never come. I wish that my late grandparents could have lived long enough to see the day that a system and society that they fought so hard against worked in their favor. Although seeing Derek Chauvin get handcuffed was a wonderful sight, it still doesn’t neglect the fact that they are still so many African Americans who have died at the hands of police who have not received what George Floyd’s family received today. America cannot look at this one instance and say, “America is restored! Systemic racism doesn’t exist! America is officially colorblind!” To those people, I say the names of Breonna Taylor, Tamir Rice, Philando Castile, and Sandra Bland. Who’re killers walk roam the local Starbucks, go to Parent School Board meetings at their kid's schools, and go home to their loved ones every night while Breonna, Tamir, Philando, and Sandra lay 6 feet under. While this verdict is a step forward, the reality is, it doesn’t bring George Floyd back. So, until some major change happens, I’m still with NWA on this one: FUCK THE POLICE. 

However, in the end, the question is: how do you dismantle and even create a system where justice can truly be served without burying someone as the sacrifice?