The power of empathy

Translated by Lin Yu

Of course all life is fate. Unless all black people and other stigmatized people of color can no longer feel humiliated, excluded, and dangerous because of their skin color (or gender, sexual orientation, gender identity...etc.), all lives will not be It's all fate because they are not taken seriously.

"All lives matter" is a contradictory message. It denies the right of disproportionately discriminated groups to be treated with equal attention as those who are born without the burden of stigma.

I don’t need to be black to empathize with black people and their experiences, and the people who support and care about me don’t need to be a young Asian woman.

You don’t need to be a rape survivor like me to experience the horror of being violated by a man, the fear of being torn on the ground, unable to move or scream, afraid of being beaten: lying in a dirty dark alley, helpless Looking at the night sky, I silently said goodbye to my relatives and friends; at the age of nine, I desperately hoped that the god who had left me would miraculously deliver a message for help. Or the fear of being murdered because of helplessness or misfortune; or the fear of disappearing from the world. You don’t have to experience what I went through to understand the hopelessness of feeling at rock bottom, or the feeling of being unable to change the past.

▲Standing on the same side as those who are traumatized and suffering alone, the ability to encourage and comfort is intertwined into a beautiful tapestry.

But you can change the future because we are the ones building it. Maybe some people will ridicule the "Time's Up" and "Me Too" (#MeToo) movements a few years ago. Yet it is indescribably comforting and empowering to know that many people are on the same page as those of us who are traumatized and suffering alone. These caring people are friends, family, strangers; men, women, trans, queer, straight; young, old; people of color, people of color; religious and non-religious; famous The, the unknown, the infamous...etc. By chance, we are intertwined into a gorgeous brocade. Thank you for your support and your love. Your voices tell us: "You are important." This is the power of empathy - it brings healing and shows that we are not alone or powerless. Because when we are together, there is power.

So, yes, all lives will only matter if black lives matter.

Haru Jang, an industrial designer, grew up in Pennsylvania. In a world full of disappointments, writing is even more important. Disappointment and hope are like two sides of a coin, but we can choose which attitude to face life with. In addition to writing, she is also creating and designing various accessories and supplies. Works are published on the studio instagram, @shisotea