I really struggled on whether or not to do this particular comic. When the murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and the deaths of others happened, like so many others, I was outraged. I knew I wanted to show support and contribute somehow. But I didn’t want it to be an empty gesture to get lost in the social media landscape, simply be the equivalent of, “thoughts and prayers”.
This instance has been especially important for me, being a person of color myself, I’ve experienced my own share of racism & prejudice, and quite honestly, continue to. Please don’t misread that as I am trying to compare my experiences to what’s happening now. That is by no means the case. Moments in my life pale in comparison to what the Black community has historically faced. But I’m reminded of a Dave Chappelle special where he drops, “You suffer. I suffer. But you can’t do comparative suffering.”
And that’s very much the case here, not trying to compare. But I definitely empathize, and I wanted to show support.
If you’re wondering how? Well I of course hope the image has a positive impact. But additionally, those of you who may visit my site more than once may know that with each installment of Tales from the Heartland, I put it up for sale on my Zazzle store. In this instance, any sale, or my share of that sale, of this comic will be donated to the NAACP and the ACLU.
I mean, heck, don’t even buy the comic. Just make a donation directly. But however you came to this page, whether you were directed to it, or you randomly came across it, if this comic resonates with you and wanted to purchase a copy, know your purchase will help support 2 great organizations.
As for that store? Here’s the direct link to this comic: https://www.zazzle.com/tales_from_the_heartland_10_poster-228863838685679770
As I write this, I don’t know if protests and efforts are still happening. I hope they are. But those of you who were out there and may continue to be, I may not be there with you in-person, but please know I am with you.
To everyone else? Be kind to each other. The world is such a crazy place right now, and we will only make it through with each other.
Love you all,
Ben