Actions Not Words Needed To Make Cultural Shifts

You don’t have to be an expert on race or have a degree in political science to know that leaders have a prominent role to play in questioning and changing cultural norms. The relationship between leaders and cultural norms is the one that permeates literally every social structure.

What is culture responsible for?

Culture is what you get through consistent practices and behaviour that have been adopted by a group of people in a particular area. What do you need to change a culture that is disturbing and unjustified? Well, you need bold leadership.

And guess what? You can apply this theory to police leadership as well. The words that we’ve heard on the streets and in the congress halls are important because Black lives do matter! And with a sense of deep urgency, we say hear, acknowledge, and stand in solidarity with those words.

The Black community has suffered for far too long at the hands of these culprits who wear uniforms that are supposed to protect and shield us from harm. Yet, today, the police and the people who justify these actions act as if Black lives don’t matter. And we say this in a state of debilitating fear that we need to take action because that is the only way we can end a culture that perpetuates violence and injustice.

What has the police done, though?

If you’ve not been blindsided by your surroundings, you’ll find the police cornering and tormenting Black people continuously and unabashedly. And if you can hear those voices in the streets, you must know that time has come to make the change and not lose the momentum. And it is only possible by making bold decisions and committing yourself to revolution and change.

Politicians, attorneys, and police unions need to come together and demand a culture that respects people of all colours, genders, and ethnicities. More importantly, we need them to join forces with the justice-seekers to become revolutionaries and chant the words loud and clear: Black Lives Matter.

How can we help?
We must push back the mindsets that perpetuate racism and rankings. We’re human beings, and we’re more than numbers and colours. We have a mind and a beating heart that must be respected. We can’t accept discrimination and behaviours that instigate violence. And for that, we need the police to reinforce cultures that stand in defence.

Many academic communities are coming together to speak about leadership and police reform – students are acquiring dissertation writing help UK to understand the history and estimate the gravity of this situation. Keeping all differences aside, Millennial and Generation Z have joined hands in changing narratives.

And so, leaders must realize their power and shape future thinking. Organizational shifts need to be made and so the leaders must model their personality accordingly – they need to not just encourage others but also inculcate tolerance and acceptance. Our systems need to be reformed and modelled with race-positive behaviour. They need to actively listen and acknowledge the concerns of the Black community.

Don’t push aside their wounds; help them heal and evolve in accordance with the need of the hour.