Our necks are precious. They are our lifelines. Major blood vessels travel through the neck, connecting our brains to our hearts. Our trachea, which carries the breath to and from our lungs, also lives here. Our ability to speak, to express ourselves and to live our truths also lives in our neck and throats. We often also hold our burdens and our tension in our necks and shoulders. When the police officer knelt on his neck, George Floyd’s ability to live, breathe and speak were taken away. “Kneeling on the neck bones” is an analogy for how white America, as a whole, has treated people of color and minorities. As a nation, as human beings, we can no longer afford to passively stand by nor actively participate in racism. Here, I will outline how we can begin to heal as individuals and as a nation.
