Too many of us have been asleep for too long, able to ignore the pain and struggles of a reality we will never know or understand firsthand.

We can no longer pretend that bigotry, racism, misogyny, discrimination, hate crimes, and prejudice don’t exist—so maybe now we can finally do something about it, together and in unity.

Let’s keep uncovering our history with clear and open eyes. Let’s keep reading and learning and talking about these uncomfortable and inconvenient truths so we can finally stand up and speak out against hate and inequality.

Let’s start to create a truly equal and just, independent society for all people, not just in theory or in words, but in action and in truth.

Thank you, Mary Frances Berry, for educating us on how we arrived here and how we can rise up together.